Vows
by Storywriter55
Summary: Neal and Sara prepare for their wedding day as Peter and Neal are hot on the trail of a cunning and vengeful thief. This is part of the 'Milestones' series. DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING
1. Chapter 1

_Neal and Sara prepare for their wedding day as Peter and Neal are hot on the trail of a cunning and vengeful thief. This is part of the 'Milestones' series._

**Vows **

**Preamble**

Now that Hope had arrived in their lives, the apartment at June's was feeling a lot smaller. Neal and Sara had recently decided that it was time to start looking for a place of their own, a place with a backyard where Hope could play with new friends, have a swing and a sandbox and room to run. They had begun looking at houses in the various suburbs, somewhere with an easy commute to the Federal Building and eventually to Sterling Bosch when Sara returned to work in October.

So a few weeks after Hope was born, Neal enlisted Mozzie's help to transport his recent art works – copies not forgeries – to his rented storage space over on Thornton Avenue. He wasn't producing anything at the moment, so he felt that until he had a proper space for his work and his materials, he should store it all and allow for some breathing room at June's. For a small baby, Hope sure came with a lot of equipment: a playpen, a small crib, a baby carrier, a change table and despite the fact that she had a fabulous room, compliments of June, much of the stuff was in their living space so they could always have the baby near them.

So on a bright Saturday morning in April, Mozzie arrived with a 'borrowed' truck and he and Neal proceeded to pack up all his art paraphernalia and drive it away to be stored. They laughed and joked, still coming off the high of Hope's birth and were oblivious to the fact that they were being observed. They unloaded everything and squeezed it in along with all the other pieces Neal had been collecting for the past couple of years. They locked up, turned to leave and walked right by a man Neal should have recognized if he had been paying just a little more attention.

Chapter 1

'So, this is really it; we have an actual date' said Sara looking down at the blank sheet of paper Elizabeth had set on the table.

'June 14th' said Neal, sounding apprehensive

'Wow, I can't wait to get started' said Elizabeth, the only one in the room who didn't look like she was shell-shocked. 'This is going to be so much fun!' she added, excited

They were having their usual Saturday night dinner at the Burkes. Hope was snoozing in her baby carrier in the living room while the foursome was finishing up their dessert of pineapple upside down cake and coffee. Peter was keeping an eye on Hope, waiting patiently for her to stir so he could walk over and pick her up to play with her. She had been asleep since they walked in a little over an hour ago and he was disappointed he hadn't yet had the chance to hold her.

Sara and Neal had been engaged since before Hope was born and now that they were all settled into a routine with Neal back at work, the time had come to buckle down and start planning the long awaited event. Although they were more than ready to take those solemn vows, the actual idea of planning and organizing the wedding was overwhelming for both Neal and Sara. Luckily, they had the best event planner in New York in their midst and she was more than anxious to get them organized.

'Well' Elizabeth continued as she started to make notes 'there's the actual ceremony, the dress, the flowers, the cake, the officiator, the food, the venue, obviously and –

Neal interrupted: 'We'd really like to have it at June's. She's offered her place and we think it would be very fitting that we get married there'

'Great!' said Elizabeth, 'that's an awesome venue - we can cross that off the list'

Suddenly, they heard a little gurgle coming from the living room followed by a couple of hiccups that were gearing up to become cries. Peter started to get up but he was interrupted by Neal who stood and went towards the sound.

'She's hungry, Peter. Let her eat first and then I promise you can hold her' he said walking over to pick up his daughter and bring her to the table.

Over the past eight weeks, since Hope's birth, the four friends had developed an increased level of comfort around such intimate things as diaper changes and breastfeeding. Although it had taken a few weeks to get used to, Peter was now comfortable with Sara breastfeeding his goddaughter in front of him so Neal picked up a receiving blanket from Hope's diaper bag and placed it and his baby girl in Sara's arms. She settled Hope in her arms and instantly the baby latched on to Sara's breast and began to nurse.

'What about the guest list? And have you guys discussed a honeymoon? Who's officiating again?'

'Elizabeth, my head is swimming' said Sara 'Can't we just have a few people over to our place and have a small get-together?'

'Look, I know this sounds overwhelming but believe me, there's nothing to it. I'll walk you through each and every step. Why don't I come over Monday afternoon and we can start planning. June 14th is only five weeks away. That's not a lot of time'

'Sure' said Sara 'we really appreciate you doing this, Elizabeth. Don't we Neal?' she looked expectantly over to her fiancé.

'We do' said Neal anxious to change the subject and talk about something he was more comfortable with 'Peter, why don't you and I get started on the dishes?' he said needing to get away from the discussion for a moment.

The men started clearing the table and Sara and Elizabeth walked over to the living room to finish their tea and let Hope finish nursing.

'You ok, Neal?' asked Peter in a low voice so he wouldn't be overheard by the women

'Yeah, yeah' said Neal with very little conviction

'Are you having second thoughts?'

'No, no, not at all. I just had no idea things would be this involved. Sara and I thought we'd just pick a date and time, make a few phone calls, prepare a few hors d'oeuvres and that would be it'

'Well, you should not have involved El if that's what you want because she is the queen of events and you know I love her like crazy but she can blow this up as big as all hell if you let her. You're going to have to decide what you and Sara want and not what El wants' he whispered.

'Yeah, we'll talk about it tonight when we get home. Listen, what time are we going to the Metropolitan on Monday?' he asked anxious to drop the subject

'At 10. That is one weird break-in, isn't it? They took the time to dislodge the Pissaro but they left it there and took off. I really don't get it. Is your friend still the curator there?' Peter asked as he placed a plate in the dish tray

'Henri, yeah, he is. Do you think it's a cover for something else? Are they sure nothing else was taken?' asked Neal, who loved a good mystery

'I guess we'll find out –

'Uncle Peter!' Sara's voice came from the living room 'Hope is ready'

Peter dropped the dish rag in a flash and with a glint in his eye, he ran out of the kitchen to see his little princess.

WCWCWCWCWCWCWC

Neal and Sara settled in bed, Hope fed and changed once more as they prepared for their usual two or three hours of precious uninterrupted sleep. Neal turned off the bedside lamp and opened his arms so Sara could settle in for a few minutes before they drifted off.

'So, what do you think of this wedding stuff?' asked Neal

'I had no idea it could get so big, so fast' admitted Sara

'Peter says we need to make sure to tell Elizabeth what we want so it doesn't become a circus' said Neal

'I know, but it's so nice of her to take this on for us. Do you know how much she usually charges for her services? I don't want to hurt her feelings and she does know what she's doing' said Sara

'Whatever you want, Repo, I'm good. One thing I can guarantee you' he said turning towards her and smiling 'I will be there with bells on. I can't wait for you to be my wife'

Neal kissed Sara goodnight as he stifled a yawn and they were asleep within five minutes.

Sunday was a nice easy day for the Ellis-Caffreys. Hope had been fed and had her diaper changed at 6:00 a.m. and had gone back to sleep giving her parents an extra few hours of sleep and cuddle time, which they greatly appreciated. On week days, Neal had to get up at 6:00 and after five or so hours of chopped up sleep, he inevitably started to droop sometime after lunch. But Sundays were great – they could get that extra sleep while Hope snoozed and feel refreshed to start the week.

Neal got up first and made cheese omelets for both he and Sara and by 8:30, she started to wake trying not to disturb Hope who was sleeping in the little crib by their bed. She walked over to kiss the cook good morning and to have a shower before breakfast.

While they ate, they discussed the upcoming week. Hope had an appointment at the paediatrician's and Neal and Peter were gearing up for a new case involving the non-disappearing Pissaro. On top of that, they had two viewings of houses that the realtor felt were perfect for their little family. So, the week was gearing up to be a busy one. Predictably, the discussion returned to the wedding plans.

'What should I wear for the wedding?' asked Sara

'You'll look beautiful in whatever you decide to wear' answered Neal, hoping that his politically correct response would end the discussion.

No such luck. She knew him well.

'Nice try, Caffrey. How fancy do we want to make this? What were you thinking of wearing?' she asked

'I have no idea. One of Byron's nicest suits, I guess' said Neal, wishing they could talk about anything else

'Well, I can't see wearing white' said Sara, glancing in Hope's direction 'but there are lots of choices now for brides. Do you want to be involved when I choose?'

Neal looked at her with an arched eyebrow that said it all.

'Alright, I'll surprise you then' she said with just a touch of regret

The unmistakable sound of their daughter waking up drifted through the apartment and Sara rose from the table to go and greet her.

'Good morning, sweet girl' she said picking her up and carrying her to the table. 'Did you have a good sleep?'

Hope answered by gurgling and smiling at her mom as Neal looked on, grinning.

The rest of the day was spent quietly with a nice walk to the park where the threesome sat on a park bench and enjoyed the late spring afternoon oblivious to what the next few weeks would bring.

Edward Walker looked proudly at the Pissaro he had lifted from the Metropolitan Museum a few nights before. He was extremely pleased with the plan he had hatched. As well as acquiring a few choices paintings for his private collection, he was finally getting revenge on that smart ass Caffrey who had brought him down and had caused him to spend the past two years of his life in a federal penitentiary.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Monday morning dawned, another spectacular late spring day and Neal said goodbye to his little family and headed off to work. He had arranged to meet Peter at their usual coffee place and he arrived just as Peter was pulling up in the Taurus.

'Good morning Peter' said Neal as he fell into step with him

'Hey Neal!' answered Peter 'How was your Sunday?'

'Nice and mellow, just the way I like it' answered Neal as he opened the door to the coffee shop for Peter

The place was buzzing as it was every weekday morning and they waited patiently for their turn to order, picking up a flavored latte for Diana and a cappuccino for Jones. Might as well make everybody happy before they embarked on this new case.

Neal was unable to wait until the official briefing as he started to quiz Peter 'So what exactly did the Museum staff tell you?'

'Well, there was definitely an intruder, he was caught on video but it's unclear what he was doing because he kept going in and out of camera range. All we know, is that a Pissaro – don't ask me the name of the painting – was taken down from its spot and was left there by the wall - unless of course our thief took off with the original and left a forgery behind.' He paused, looking at Neal 'And that's where you come in.'

'That doesn't make much sense. Why wouldn't he put the forgery up on the wall? Was he

interrupted?' asked Neal sipping on his espresso

'I've got the full report at the office, you keener, can you wait until we brief everyone at 9?'

'Sure' said Neal, feeling anxious to get started

When the crew assembled at nine on the dot, Peter had the full report on the (did he dare call it a theft?) situation at the museum. He also was able to provide a visual of the painting which had clearly been left behind after it had been taken off the wall. It was indeed a Pissaro and it was entitled 'Two Women Chatting by the Sea'. Neal knew that piece and liked it a lot. He had even painted one a couple of years ago and thought he had done a pretty good job.

The intruder came in and out of camera range. He was approximately 6 feet tall and he was wearing dark clothing that was mostly non-descript except for a hoodie of sorts that covered his head and had the logo for the University of Colorado Buffaloes across the front in large bold letters. It was unclear what he was doing but he walked in and out of camera range before he disappeared and was not seen again.

'Well, my guess is he may have switched the paintings' said Jones after a few seconds

'Could well be' said Peter 'Neal and I are going to swing by and have a little one on one with the curator. Put the word out on the street that there may be a Pissaro out there that someone's trying to fence and we may be able to follow it back to the thief if it shows up somewhere'

'That's it for now' added Peter as the Harvard crew dispersed.

He turned towards Neal. 'You ready to go take a look'

'Sure! Let's go' said Neal stepping out of the conference room. Evaluating art to determine if it was authentic or not was one of Neal's favorite activities and just like a chicken sexer, he had an incredible intuition that he couldn't explain although he was never wrong. His instincts were always right on and Neal could have correctly differentiated between a forgery and the real thing 100% of the time.

They arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Neal was glad to once again meet up with his friend the curator, Henri Cassal, who he had last seen just a few days before Hope was born.

'Bonjour Henri' said Neal as they entered his office

'Bonjour Neal, quel plaisir de te revoir si vite!' said Henri with a warm handshake

'Je voulais te remercier pour le beau cadeau que tu as laissé pour ma petite fille. C'était très gentil de ta part' said Neal with a warm smile

'De rien Neal. Elle va bien?'

'Bien sûr, elle est adorable, tu veux voir?' said Neal taking out his phone to show Henri a picture of Hope, well several pictures of Hope at which point Peter piped up and was suddenly interested in the conversation. He didn't understand French but when it came to his goddaughter, she was gorgeous in any language. Henri gave the requisite oohs and aahs at the sight of little Hope and congratulated Neal once again on his beautiful daughter. Once the picture show was over, Peter put out his hand for Henri.

'Hi Henri' said Peter, shaking his hand

'Agent Burke, nice to see you again. I'll take you into the back where we have put the Pissaro. We did not want to put it back in the museum until we were certain it was not a forgery. Come' he said, leading the way.

Neal and Peter followed him through the bowels of the building until they came to a storage area where they stored art pieces awaiting exhibition or those on their way out to another museum.

The Pissaro had been set up on an easel awaiting Neal's scrutiny. He approached it, once again appreciating its beauty. It depicted two women, one facing the artist, the other, dressed in blue, looking towards the ocean which was behind them. The colors were muted and the image pleasing and Neal, who had always appreciated this style of painting, thought it was beautiful. He briefly thought back to when he had painted it a couple of years before and the pleasure he had taken in trying to capture the calmness of the image. It had been during his first year on the anklet and he had been particularly prolific that year as he adapted to his new life. Painting had helped him stay focussed and had kept him out of trouble on more than one occasion.

He began by giving it a cursory evaluation and could not tell if it was authentic or not at first glance. In some cases, he could tell immediately if a painting had been forged but in this case, if it was a forgery it was a very good one. He began to examine the painting more closely, scrutinizing the strokes, the colors and the technique. As good as any forger was, he could never truly duplicate the work of artists who had worked in a certain time period with the materials that were available to them at that time.

As he continued to examine the painting, he became more and more doubtful of its authenticity. There were tiny little tells: the colors were just a little flatter, the technique, although excellent, just a little off. It took him about five minutes and he was ready with his verdict. 'This is an amazing forgery' said Neal 'whoever did this was a good student of Pissaro's work, there's no doubt. But the materials used are just a little off from what was available when the original was painted in 1856'

'So' said Peter 'we are definitely looking at a theft, then'

'It looks like it' said Neal

'Alright then, we've got ourselves a case' announced Peter

WCWCWCWC WCWCWC

Sara and Elizabeth were having tea and scones and sitting at the kitchen table at June's as Hope slept in her room. During the day, Sara had begun to put Hope down in her own room so that she could move more freely around the apartment without fear of waking her. Hope had a beautiful room. June had hired an architect friend of hers to design the space – a wall had been knocked out from an adjoining room which had added a fair amount of square footage to the loft. The bedroom was accessible from the hall to the walk-in closet and was right off the bathroom. The room was a good size, beautifully accessorized and it featured a mural that Neal had painted over a period of several months. That mural was going to be one of the features of the apartment they would miss the most when they finally moved out.

Elizabeth, always the consummate professional, had come equipped with a variety of planning tools, magazines, examples of invitations, dress catalogues, photographs of cakes, flowers and everything you could possibly imagine to plan a fabulous wedding. Sara was impressed by all the options but had no clue where to start.

'Now that we know the wedding is here' said Elizabeth 'we can start thinking of a theme'

'A theme' echoed Sara 'isn't the wedding the theme?'

'Well, no, you could have a rustic wedding, a period wedding, a classic wedding...' continued Elizabeth

'Wow, well, I guess Neal and I are pretty plain people. There won't be more than a dozen or so guests so can we agree on something that's not too elaborate?' asked Sara, suddenly overwhelmed

Elizabeth looked at her friend 'I had a thought - I wanted to suggest that since the house backs onto that nice garden, we could have the ceremony out there and the reception inside the house. What do you think?'

'That sounds really nice' said Sara 'I guess I just have to check with June that she's ok with us using the garden'

'We could have a gorgeous garden arch for you and Neal to stand under while you recite your vows' suggested Elizabeth as the wheels started turning

'Our vows... oh yeah, I guess we're going to have to work on that' said Sara as all the working parts of the ceremony started to dawn on her

'Do you have any idea what you want to wear?' asked Elizabeth

'I don't know, not white that's for sure, I wouldn't feel right. What are my options?' asked Sara

'Oh my God, hundreds if not thousands of options. I think your dress is the main priority, Sara. We only have five weeks and if you need any alterations, you're going to be cutting it pretty close. I have a few places to suggest – there's Kleinfelds, of course and a place for more vintage dresses that I really like called Adriennes and then there's Albright's which has amazing dresses – a bit on the pricy side though.' She looked at Sara's face and could see how overwhelmed she was feeling. 'Would you like me to go shopping with you?' she added

'That would be great! Should we go this week?' asked Sara suddenly feeling like there was a lot to get done.

'Definitely, the sooner the better. Do you think June might watch Hope for a few hours so we could go tomorrow?'

'I could definitely ask. What else?' she was almost afraid to ask

'Well, you should definitely get your invitations out this week and maybe next week, we could look at flowers and the cake. I could leave this book of sample invitations for you and Neal to look at tonight and we could order them tomorrow.'

'Oh, that's so pretty' said Sara looking at the first page of the binder Elizabeth was showing her

'I'm having trouble imagining Neal taking any interest in this'

'Well, unfortunately, that's pretty typical of grooms but I definitely think we should get him to come out and help choose the wedding cake' Elizabeth said

'Neal likes cake – I think I can talk him into that' agreed Sara

'Alright, so listen, don't worry about a thing. I'm not going to let anything fall through the cracks and you're going to have a fabulous wedding'

'Elizabeth, I can't thank you enough for all this. I wish you would let us pay for your services...'

Elizabeth cut her off 'Are you kidding me? You and Neal are family and Hope is our goddaughter. It's an honor for me to do this for you. But Sara, you have to speak up and tell me what you want. That's what a good event planner does – listen carefully to her client and give her the kind of day she's always dreamed of.'

Neal arrived home, looking rather preoccupied. The case they had started to work on was puzzling him and something wasn't right but he didn't know what.

'Why not just steal the damn thing?' he said as he took a bite of asparagus. 'Why bother replacing it with a forgery that would in all likelihood be discovered. It doesn't make any sense'

'Maybe the thief thought they wouldn't realize it had been switched?' suggested Sara

'If that was the case, why leave the painting on the floor against the wall. Why not put the forgery back on the wall in the original's place?'

'You'll figure it out, Caffrey. You always do' said Sara, reaching to touch his hand

He looked up at her. 'I didn't even ask you how things went with Elizabeth.'

'Well, apparently the sky's the limit when it comes to weddings or maybe I should say your budget's the limit' said Sara

'Oh yeah, that bad huh?'

'You and I have to decide on a wedding invitation tonight' Sara added

Neal looked really puzzled 'An invitation? Can't we just tell people what time to show up?'

'Oh, boy! Do you have a lot to learn about weddings, Caffrey. Let's just say, you are lucky that you have a fabulous fiancée to make all those important decisions you do not give a rat's ass about' she said getting up, walking over to him and sitting on his lap

Neal wrapped his arm around her waist. 'Oh yeah, and what kind of surprises is my fabulous fiancée going to spring on me' he said nuzzling her neck

Sara kissed him: 'Show up at the wedding and you'll find out'


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

By the time the following Saturday rolled around, Sara and Neal were exhausted. It had been a gruelling week. They sat in the Burkes' living room and let Peter totally take the lead with Hope as Elizabeth proceeded to serve them hand and foot.

On Tuesday, Sara had gone dress shopping with Elizabeth – and what an experience that had been! There was so much to choose from and after trying on one dress after another, they all had started to look alike. Sara looked great in everything, which in this case, was not a good thing. She couldn't eliminate certain styles in favor of others that suited her better – everything looked amazing. Elizabeth was doing her best, giving her friend some honest feedback and trying to get her to look at pros and cons but El was also having trouble focussing on what was the best choice for Sara.

In the end, Sara went with her gut and her personality and chose a beautiful off-white dress that fell just below the knee. It was tight fitting showing off her curves and had a beautifully ornate overlay throughout. The back and short sleeves were sheer with the same stunning overlay. The translucent back was highlighted by 25 beautifully covered buttons. She looked amazing and the good news was that it needed very little alteration and would be ready in just two weeks. Then came the shoes. After trying dozens of different styles, she went with a 3 inch plain pump that was in the same material as her dress – very elegant but not showy. All that was left was to decide how she was going to wear her hair and what, if anything, she would wear on her head.

Neal actually got home before Sara got back, even though he had to stop and pick up the car they had rented for a couple of days to go house hunting. They were visiting a house in Peekskill that evening and their realtor, Linda Jarvis, swore was the perfect house for them. Neal arrived shortly after five and relieved June of her babysitting duties, thanked her profusely and carried Hope up to the apartment as she gurgled and smiled up at her daddy. The showing was at 7:30 so dinner would have to be quick. He took out some cold cuts and fresh bread and set them out on the table with some coleslaw. Hope was beginning to fuss so Neal had a look in the fridge to see if Sara had left any bottles of breast milk but he was out of luck. He walked around going from the fridge to the table with Hope in his arms, jiggling her in one arm while he placed the cutlery on the table. Just as he was finishing setting everything up, Sara walked in, looking totally done in.

'Hi' greeted Neal, with a smile as he cradled Hope

Sara kicked off her shoes, dragged herself over to the couch and flopped 'Hey' she answered

Neal, brought Hope over to her mom to be fed 'So, how did the dress shopping go?' he asked.

'Exhausting! I think I tried on every single wedding dress within a ten mile radius' said Sara

'Successful, though?' asked Neal trying to get a sense of what she'd chosen

'Oh, no you don't. You're not getting anything out of me. You didn't want to be involved with helping me choose, you can damn well wait until I show up on our wedding day' she said, teasing. 'Neal, you really have to start thinking about what _you're_ going to wear, too. It's not all about the bride, you know'

'Yeah, I'll talk to June and see if she's got anything really special of Byron's stashed away'

Sara looked up at him as he placed Hope in her arms to be fed. 'You know, you can buy a new suit, Neal. We have the money'

'And pass up an opportunity to wear an amazing vintage suit?' he said as he loaded up a plate of food to bring to her

'You do remember we're looking at a house tonight, right?' he added

'Oh, shoot. I totally forgot. I could so do without that' said Sara

'Well, this could be the one' said Neal 'Great neighborhood, parks, schools, three bedrooms, large yard'

'Do you hear yourself? Did you ever think Neal Caffrey would have the least bit of interest in any of the things you just listed?'

'You're right' he said coming to sit down next to her with his own plate 'what a difference a year makes!'

The house turned out to be a disappointment. It was a nice enough home with three bedrooms and a very large fenced yard. The kitchen was beautiful, according to Neal who was the cook in the family and it had a nice family room nearby where Hope could play under the watchful eye of her parents. But it was on a very busy street which was a deal breaker so they thanked the realtor and once again went over their 'must have' list with her – it had included, from the beginning, a nice quiet street.

It was late when they got back home and Hope had fallen asleep in the car. She didn't react well to being disturbed as she was brought up to the apartment and put to bed. Sara had convinced Neal that they should start letting her sleep in her own room – after all, they had a state of the art baby monitor, compliments of Uncle Mozzie – and that way, they could reclaim a bit of space for themselves. Neal was more hesitant, feeling the need to have her close by at night in case she cried. Despite his qualms, he agreed to give it a try and see how it went so down she went in her beautifully appointed bedroom as Neal tucked her in and kissed her goodnight. By the time he made it back to his own bed, Sara was already sound asleep and he was not far behind.

The following day was Hope's two month doctor's appointment and the first in a series of vaccinations. Sara had not been looking forward to going alone so Neal had arranged to take the afternoon off to accompany them. The initial check up went off without a hitch. Their paediatrician, Dr. Jameson, was a gentle older man who had a way of speaking very calmly to his baby patients and Hope took to him without a problem. She now weighed 11 pounds and according to the doctor, she was thriving in every area of her development. Neal beamed at the news as if he could take credit in any way for her healthy development. Then came the moment to immunize her; she was getting three shots and as soon as the first one was administered, she began to shriek. Neither one of them liked to hear their baby girl cry but Neal was the one who had the lowest tolerance when it came to Hope's crying. In typical Neal style, he always wanted to make everything better and he couldn't stand to see the people he loved suffering in any way.

Sara held Hope firmly so the doctor could complete the task and she tried talking gently to her, reassuring her, but Hope would have none of it and after the second needle, Neal couldn't take anymore, excused himself and actually left the room to wait in the reception area.

'Sorry about that' he said as Sara joined him in the waiting room 'I just couldn't take it'

'It's not the last time she's going to cry, Neal' warned Sara

'I don't have to like it' he answered as he put out his arms to take her from Sara. She had cried herself to sleep and her tear-stained cheeks were red and hot to the touch.

The following two days had been hell. Hope had reacted to the vaccinations by running a low grade fever and crying almost non-stop from morning until night. This was so unlike their daughter that they had ended up in emergency with her, only to be told that she would be fine with a small dose of children's Tylenol and a lot of tender loving care. They took turns holding her, rocking her, talking to her, singing softly, walking around and around the apartment bouncing her in their arms. They even tried her in the car seat driving around in their rented car but to no avail. She was inconsolable. Thursday faded into Friday without relief in sight and Neal actually fell asleep at his desk just before lunch on Friday. He was running on about two hours of sleep and had more of the same to look forward to when he went home.

Luckily, it had been a rather quiet week at the office. There had been no new leads on the painting swap and they really had nowhere to go with the case unless someone spotted the piece of art somewhere or heard whispers about it being fenced. As usual, Mozzie had been enlisted to put his ear to the ground and as time passed, he was becoming less and less resistant to helping the Suits. Mozzie was an important asset to the Bureau and was himself, becoming a reliable CI of sorts – he could live with that as long as Peter continued to turn a blind eye to his extracurricular activities.

By Saturday, Hope's fever had finally broken but the damage was done as far as sheer exhaustion for Neal and Sara. Peter and Elizabeth had offered to babysit Hope while they went to look at yet another house, so the young couple drove out to Brooklyn with their happy baby in tow – mentally rolling their eyes at the thought that Hope had saved her sunny disposition for her godparents.

This time, the house they were looking at was in White Plains, an area Neal and Sara particularly liked and, once again, Linda swore it was the perfect house for them. It was - in so many ways. It was situated on a nice quiet street, had the required three bedrooms, a finished basement and a beautifully appointed kitchen/family room combination as well as a large yard. Disappointment loomed however when she told them the asking price... which was $300,000 over the top end of their budget.

Neal and Sara began the long drive back to Brooklyn, frustrated and tired, as they began to wonder if they would find the house that was right for them. Luckily, it was Saturday night and that meant dinner at the Burkes, always comforting and reassuring.

When they arrived, they were greeted by the wonderful smell of lasagna and the sound of Hope gurgling as she stared into her Uncle Peter's eyes. What a hoot those two were together, such an odd couple of souls who had lots of time for each other – life was funny that way.

They ate at the dining room table while Hope, set up in her baby seat, reigned over the proceedings and cooed as she looked around the table at her parents and godparents.

After dinner, the boys got cozy in the living room and watched the game on TV while Sara and Elizabeth got busy addressing the wedding invitations. In the end, Sara and Neal had chosen a very simple script and Neal had contributed an original motif which had been incorporated into the design and featured an anklet and a baton – a wink to the close friends who would be in attendance. It totally deviated from the traditional invitation but it really spoke to who these two kindred spirits were and Elizabeth couldn't help but smile as she tucked one of the invitations into an envelope.

The guest list included the best man (Peter), the maid of honor (Elizabeth), uncle Mozzie, grandma June, Diana and Christie, Clinton and his date, Reese and his wife, a couple of the probies from Neal's office and two colleagues of Sara's from Sterling Bosch that she was particularly fond of.

Peter and Elizabeth insisted that the young couple take it easy and relax while they took a short walk in the neighborhood with Hope and Satchmo – who had taken quite a liking to the new arrival. When they returned about an hour later, they found Neal with his head back against the couch and his mouth open snoring peacefully with Sara tucked in under his arm also sound asleep.

WCWCWCWCWCWC

Edward Walker was one arrogant and angry son a of a bitch. He had lived a charmed life making a bundle in acquisitions – and not always on the straight and narrow either. But after he retired, he had explored the world of bank heists, successfully at first in Boston, Chicago and Dallas but then he had run his scheme in New York and had come up against the daring Burke-Caffrey duo. Neal was the one who had figured out his identity from the calling card Walker had the balls to leave at the scene of every crime. Walker had been furious that this snot nosed CI would get the upper hand on him and he had vowed to turn the tables of Caffrey the first chance he got. Burke was one thing – he was an FBI agent and just doing his job but Neal, well he was something else and Walker had spent many hours over the past two years in his cell plotting ways he could best Caffrey.

Walker stood around his four car garage, admiring the two dozen or so forged paintings he had lifted from the little storage unit on Thornton Avenue. He had already chosen his next target. As a matter of fact, it was an old business associate of his who had an eclectic and rather large art collection. He knew the layout of the house and he remembered, from the last dinner party he'd attended, that they had a lesser known original Renoir hanging in their dining room. As a matter of fact, Neal Caffrey also liked that rare painting and had provided Walker with a lovely version that he could swap for it. So, knowing that George Dunfee was out of town with his wife for the week, he prepared for another fun romp on the dark side of the law.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Edward Walker was having the time of his life. He hated being outsmarted but he loved outsmarting others. He crept around the Dunfee's estate looking for the best point of entry with access to the dining room. He began by parading in front of the closed circuit cameras that were in plain view in two spots outside the house. Although his face was covered, he wanted to make certain that the Colorado Buffaloes sweatshirt he was wearing was easily recognizable on the footage. He had left the forgery by the side of the house while he did his recon and went back to retrieve it. This would be a lot easier than the museum heist; the painting he was targeting was visible from outside the house. Although the alarm was directly connected to the NYPD (as George had bragged about the last time he had seen Edward), he would have a good ten minutes before any uniforms showed up so he went with the most direct route: breaking the window of the French doors leading to the dining room. The alarm sounded immediately and he went to work quickly taking the painting down and setting Neal's forgery at the foot of the wall, where it would be visible as soon as someone walked in. He was gone within ninety seconds.

WCWCWCWCWCWC

Peter and Neal were sitting in the conference room looking over some boring mortgage fraud files when they became aware of three men arriving at the NY white collar offices. The men walked right up the stairs and straight into Reese Hughes' office, without hesitation. Reese got up to shake their hands and Peter looked on with interest. He thought he recognized at least one of the men – he was from DC Art crimes and his name was Dwayne Stirling. What in heaven's name was he doing here. Was there some new case that he didn't know about? Surely they weren't here about the museum theft; Peter felt that he and his team had things well in hand.

The men chatted for awhile and after a few minutes, Reese looked out and, seeing he had Peter's attention, he signaled him to come in and join them, which Peter did immediately.

'Peter' said Reese 'You know Dwayne Stirling form DC, don't you?'

'Yes, of course' said Peter 'Nice to see you again. What brings you to our fair city?'

Dwayne shook hands with Peter. He was a large guy, about Peter's height but he had a good twenty or so pounds on Peter and he had a monster handshake. Peter had met him a few times at conferences and the like and he had not gotten good vibes off him. Stirling was an ambitious guy, the kind that didn't care who he stepped on to make himself look good and have some type of advantage. Not the type of guy Peter had any affinity with.

He introduced his colleagues, two probies. One of them, John White, was a slight guy about 5 foot 7 with a lanky build; the other whose name was Scott Jeffreys looked like a keener, a little slimy, Peter thought.

'We've been asked to come and give you a hand on the museum theft from last week. The higher ups want us to have a good look at that forgery. They're concerned we may have a new Caffrey on the loose' he said with a smarmy laugh.

'Well, there's very little to go on at this point' clarified Peter 'We've put feelers out to see if the original shows up to be fenced'

'Where is the forgery now?' asked Stirling

'It's in evidence lockup. I'll be glad to take you' volunteered Peter

'That's ok. We know where that is' he said as he left with Mutt and Jeff in tow.

As they left, Peter turned to look at Reese with a question mark in his eyes.

'What the hell is going on, here? This is our case; what does DC have to do with it'

'Well, it is their prerogative to look at any case and decide if further involvement is required' answered Reese

Peter sounded genuinely concerned 'I don't like it Reese. Whenever HQ starts putting their nose in our operations, it's never a good thing. I want you to make sure that they give us some room to manoeuvre'

'I'll see what I can do, Peter, but you've got to let them play ball with you. We don't have much choice'

Peter left and walked back to the conference room where Neal was still busy looking over the mortgage files.

'What's up?' asked Neal when he saw Peter's face

'DC's here to _help _with the museum theft or should I say interfere in our case'

Neal looked up from his file 'That can't be good. Do they have some lead we don't know about?'

'I don't think so, they're just snooping but they asked to have a look at the forgery'

'So? What's the problem?' asked Neal, looking puzzled

Peter looked uneasy 'Don't know, call it gut instinct'

WCWCWCWCWCWC

Now that the dress was all sorted out, it was time to cross a few more things off the wedding planner's list. Sara was having lunch with Elizabeth at the Burkes and they were preparing to go out and look at flowers. Now that Hope was feeling better, she was back to her sweet disposition and they had decided to take her along for the ride.

'So, what do you like as far as flowers go?' asked Elizabeth, the consummate professional

'Lots of stuff, orchids are my favorite and I hate, absolutely abhor carnations but anything else is fair game'

'Did you know that each flower has a meaning? For example, roses stand for love, lilacs and daisies stand for innocence. Orchids stand for beauty – it's a great choice for a wedding and there are some very fragile ones as well as sturdier ones that stand up well in a bridal bouquet.'

Elizabeth pulled out a binder and suddenly there were dozens of arrangements with orchids right in front of Sara's eyes.

'Oh, I like that' said Sara pointing to a cascading bouquet of off-white orchids with a pale peach center

'You've got taste, Sara! That would be a terrific choice. And of course, we could incorporate some orchids at the dinner table as well as in the garden. My regular haunt is Starbright Floral over on 28th Street and they do amazing orchids. Ready?'

'Sure' said Sara. She was finally getting into it and Elizabeth's help and guidance was making all the difference. This was going to be a class affair, she realized, pleased with how well things were going.

Elizabeth piped up 'Oh, and next is cake and that means Neal. Did you talk to him about it, yet?'

'No, but I promise I will tonight' said Sara, picking up Hope to carry her out to the car

'We should do that next week at the latest' Elizabeth added 'and then we have to talk about the menu'

Woah, thought Sara, this is turning into a full time job!

The visit to the florist was fruitful and Elizabeth coached Sara who ended up choosing a beautiful bridal bouquet of off-white orchids with a touch of magenta. The same flower was to be used in a beautiful centrepiece for the dinner table and for the maid of honor's bouquet. Finally, Sara chose the boutonnieres for Neal and Peter again with the same shades. She would have to coax Neal towards complimentary colors when he chose a shirt and tie.

Things were moving along well but there was still a lot to do. Elizabeth had arranged an appointment at Magnolia Cakes for the following Tuesday and she hoped that they would find the perfect cake.

Peter arrived home to find Elizabeth knee deep in wedding planning. She was really into this – after all, it was a labor of love. Peter looked around the kitchen and realized that nothing had been happening as far as meal preparation so he started to get stuff ready for a salad when El looked up.

'What are you doing home so early?' she asked

'What are you talking about? It's six o'clock. Aren't you hungry?'

'You're kidding – I had no idea it was so late. Sorry... I just want this wedding to be perfect' she added, as she began to clear things off the dining room table

Peter looked on, curious 'Hon, I haven't seen you this involved in an event since you planned that party at the Met for 200 guests last year'

Elizabeth sighed 'You're right, I just want Neal and Sara to have the best day of their lives. They deserve it. And frankly, Sara doesn't have a clue – I think if we had left it up to them, they would have ordered pizza.'

'And that would be a bad thing because...' said Peter looking at Elizabeth as she walked towards him

'Well... it just...'

'It just what?' he asked 'You know, this is their wedding not ours. Are you sure Sara and Neal want all this?'

'Who wouldn't want this?' she answered and she immediately realized the arrogance of her answer.

'Honey, I repeat, it's their wedding. Just make sure you're giving Sara the room to make her own decisions, ok?'

Elizabeth was put off by his comment as she opened the refrigerator to grab some chicken. 'You don't understand...' she started but Peter was looking at her knowingly and she realized he really did.

Peter walked up to her and put his arms around her, forcing her to look up into his eyes. 'You are the best, El and I know your intentions are good; just stop and think about what I said, ok?'

She smiled reluctantly and leaned into the kiss he gently put on her lips.

Back at the Ellis-Caffrey home, Sara was spouting non-stop about the gorgeous flowers she had chosen and the garden arch that Elizabeth had suggested for the celebration.

Neal was half-listening as he reflected on what had happened at the office that afternoon. This was like Kramer all over again – he hoped that these guys from DC weren't going to stir the pot and bring chaos to their case.

'So, what do you think?' Sara was saying

'Sure, sounds good' he answered, not wanting to admit he hadn't been listening

Sara continued without missing a beat 'Great, so it's Tuesday at two'

'What's Tuesday at two?' Neal hated to admit defeat

'I knew it! I knew you weren't listening. What is going on with you anyway? Neal! The water is boiling over!' she shouted

'Oops' Neal ran over to turn the burner down on the water he was boiling for the pasta

'Alright, spill, buddy!' Sara said with a hand on her hip

Neal looked at her guiltily like he had been caught doing something illegal.

'Nothing, it's just work. So what's next Tuesday at two?' he repeated

'The cake, Neal, the cake. I need you to come and choose our wedding cake'

Neal looked at her with a frown on his face 'You're kidding, right? You don't really expect me to ask Peter for time off so I can go taste some cakes?'

'I do. Elizabeth will put in a good word. She says it's important for the groom to be involved with the cake choice'

'Sara, you know what I like; I trust you completely to pick the perfect cake' Neal said as he walked up behind her and put his arms around her waist. He began to kiss her neck, hoping the distraction would gain him brownie points. Sara sighed, enjoying the cuddle but she retaliated with one of her best weapons 'Neal' she purred 'I want you there. Will you come, please.' Neal rolled his eyes – point to Sara, he thought.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It took two days for the NYPD to refer the Dunfee case to the white collar unit. It landed on Peter's desk the following Monday. At first glance, it had the same MO as the museum theft and since the police had been unable to reach the Dunfees in Europe, they had simply secured the home and left the scene as it had been found.

Peter and Neal arrived at around eleven and started to look around the estate. They noticed the two security cameras outside the home and the point of entry was obvious from the damage to the French doors leading to the dining room. As they entered, they noticed the painting leaning on the wall by the fireplace. Neal recognized it immediately as it was a Renoir, one of his favorite artists. The piece was a lesser known painting of his and was called 'La Grenouillère'.

La Grenouillère, translated literally meant 'frog's lookout or frog's home' and it was a meeting place for rich aristocrats off the Seine, in France. It had been built as a wooden add-on to the edge of the water and Parisians would flock there to see and be seen. The 1869 painting, in impressionist style, depicted several ladies and lords chatting on the structure as small boats adorned the perimeter of the grenouillère.

Neal did a double take. This was also a painting that he had taken pleasure in reproducing and he thought fondly of the weeks he had invested in getting his version just right. He remembered that he had painted it during the period where he had suspected Peter of holding Kate (as outlandish at that sounded now) and he had been driven to find out the truth about that damn FBI ring. Reproducing 'La Grenouillère' had given him some release from all that tension and he thought back to the night that he had taken the nearly finished painting and thrashed it in a fit of frustration and anger only to start another version the next night.

Neal walked up to the painting and picked it up to bring it to eye level. He set it up against the edge of the mantle to get a better look. Peter was still surveying the rest of the house to see if there were any other obvious signs of theft when Neal's eyes came to rest on a small detail of the painting that made his eyes widen and his heart stop.

Ego was a big part of the conman's lifestyle and Neal had always been flamboyant in his crimes daring Peter and the FBI as well as their cohorts across Europe to find him while goading them by leaving clues. He had taken pleasure over the years in pulling one over all of them. He had confessed to Peter during the Dutchman case that he had signed his forged bonds and in fact, it had become a habit of his to leave his initials engraved in everything he did. There, as clear as day (although barely visible to the untrained eye) was the telltale NGC tucked away in an obscure part of the painting right where he had put it.

Peter walked in 'Hey, how's it going? So, what do you think?'

Neal snapped back to reality and if Peter had been facing him, he would have picked up on Neal's hesitation immediately. As it was, Neal had his back to Peter and had time to put his game face on before he turned to face Peter.

'Looks like another forgery' said Neal in a even voice

'Damn, what's this guy's game? These are good, Neal. It's almost as if someone is following in your footsteps. Maybe Stirling is right, maybe there's a new Caffrey on the loose'

Neal smiled weakly 'So I guess we have to share this with the DC crew?'

'No choice there' said Peter as he picked up the painting with his gloved hand to bring it out to the car. 'You ok, Neal?' he asked finally picking up on his partner's slightly off behavior

'Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired. Hope had a restless night and I didn't get much sleep' Neal fibbed as he tried to compute what he had just discovered and plan his next move. He certainly hadn't carried out any thefts and the last time he had seen this reproduction, it was safely tucked away in the storage unit on Thornton Avenue. Explanations started multiplying in his mind, the most horrifying one being that someone had broken into his storage unit with the express intent of using his reproductions to frame him.

They made it back to the office and Neal insisted on going with Peter to the evidence lockup. He wanted to have another look at the Pissaro to see if his fears were warranted.

'I've got this if you want to go to lunch' said Peter. 'Don't you have that cake thing today?' he added looking over at Neal

'No..' said Neal absent-mindedly 'that's tomorrow. I just want to look at that Pissaro again'

They took the elevator down to the second basement where the evidence lockup was located. As they travelled down, Peter couldn't help but add 'You know, if word gets out that I gave you the afternoon off to do a cake tasting, we're both going to be teased mercilessly' he said smiling.

'Well, believe me, I tried to get out of it' said Neal 'but Sara has her secret weapons and sometimes I just can't say no to her'

They finally arrived at their destination and the doors to the elevator opened as Peter carried the Renoir out to be placed with the first painting.

Neal spotted the Pissaro and walked immediately over to it and his eyes travelled down to the spot where he would normally leave his tell-tale signature. Sure enough, as plain as day (or at least in his eyes) there it was and he looked on in horror trying to keep Peter from seeing his face as he realized that his theory had just increased exponentially in credibility. How could he not have spotted it the day they went to the Museum?

Neal opted to take a walk over lunch to clear his head. 'This can't be happening!' he thought as he crisscrossed the streets around the Federal Building. He still had his anklet for another few months and Peter had started talking about taking him on as a consultant when his time was up. He was finally going to be Joe Citizen, an upstanding guy – who still liked adventure from time to time – a married man with a beautiful wife and daughter and a regular job. As much as that thought would have repulsed him five years ago, now it was a comforting notion and he loved everything about his life. He certainly didn't want to put any of it in jeopardy. He had worked hard to get to this point in his relationship with Peter and it was worth everything to him. The trust between him and Sara was unshakeable and nothing was worth risking that either. As he walked back to the office, his mind was made up. Peter always had his back and if he was honest with him, Peter would always go to bat for him – he had proven this time and time again. He stepped off the elevator and headed straight up to his partner's office.

WCWCWCWCWCWC

Sara and Elizabeth were having another busy day. As much as Sara had been apprehensive at first, she was really having fun with all this wedding preparation and she truly enjoyed spending time with Elizabeth, who was always cheerful and totally invested in their special day. Hope was having a good day and after her morning nap, there was a window of time where she was usually content – a good time to pack her up in Elizabeth's Mazda and run a wedding errand. Albrights had called to say that Sara's dress alterations were done and so the threesome headed out to see the finished product with the box containing Sara's wedding shoes in hand.

When they arrived, Sara was ushered into a change room where her dress awaited her. She walked in, a little nervously and uncovered the dress. She smiled. It was even more beautiful than she had remembered. She wanted to look amazing for Neal and she pictured the look in his eyes when he would first see her on their wedding day. She slipped the dress on and marvelled at the perfect fit (that's it, she thought, no more cheesecake until the wedding) and she put on her shoes before walking out to parade in front of her friend and her daughter who had once again slipped into slumber.

'Oh, my God' said Elizabeth as her breath caught in her throat. 'Sara, you are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen' Her eyes glistened and Elizabeth thought back to her own wedding nearly fourteen years ago and that feeling as you get ready to commit to the man you love. Sara just beamed.

Elizabeth morphed into wedding planner mode and quickly got up to start fussing with Sara's hair. 'What do you want to do with your hair?' she asked her friend as the pulled it up to get the effect of an off-the-shoulder look

'I don't know. I don't usually put it up but the back of the dress is so beautiful, I want to be able to show it off' said Sara looking in the full length mirror.

'I agree' said Elizabeth 'very understated though, not too ornate – maybe just a few tendrils dropping on each side?' Since her talk with Peter, she had been trying hard to give Sara all the space she needed to make her own decisions but let's face it, Elizabeth had a lot of opinions and no difficulty in expressing them.

'Can we look at hairstyles when we get back?' asked Sara timidly

WCWCWCWCWCWC

Neal walked into Peter office and took a big breath. 'Peter, have you got a minute?' he asked, looking anxious

'Yeah, come on in' said Peter looking up from his computer screen

'I've got a problem' said Neal, not quite certain where to start

Peter could sense that Neal was upset and wondered if he was getting cold feet two weeks before the wedding 'What is it?'

'You know those two forgeries?'

Peter was relieved that it wasn't about the wedding 'Sure, they're good'

'There's a reason why they're so good' said Neal with a weak smile 'They're mine'

'What?'

'You've seen all the stuff I've done over the years. Dozens of reproductions'

Peter winced at the use of the word 'reproductions'.

'I've had this storage unit for over two years and when things start piling up at the apartment, I just put them in storage'

'Yeah, I know that Neal. Were these two paintings in your storage?'

Neal nodded. 'About three weeks after Hope was born, Moz and I took everything from the apartment over to the storage unit to make room for Hope's stuff. The place was jam packed and I remember thinking I would need a bigger storage soon if we don't get a house in the next little while'

Peter looked at Neal intently 'Why didn't you say anything when we examined the painting at the Met?'

'I never expected to see my for- uh, copy there so it never even crossed my mind it could be mine. It was only when I saw that the one from this morning was another one of my reproductions that I started to get suspicious. I mean what are the chances that I'd done copies of both the stolen paintings, right? So, when you were looking through the house, I got a chance to examine the canvas and I spotted my hidden initials'

'Is that why you asked to see the Pissaro again before lunch?'

'Yeah, it was only then that I put the pieces together.'

'Why didn't you tell me right away?'

'I was in shock, Peter. I'm sorry I waited until now but I was scared. Finally, everything in my life is perfect and then this….'

Peter just looked and nodded.

Neal went on 'I want you to come with me to the storage unit when I go over there after work. I think someone took everything out and is using the paintings to frame me for the thefts'

'Oh God' said Peter, looking worried 'That's all we need with these jerks from art crimes sniffing around. Look, you did the right thing telling me about it. Let's start by checking out the unit, ok? Try not to worry, Neal. We'll get to the bottom of this'

The afternoon dragged on for Neal who was imagining all kinds of scenarios coming out of this set of circumstances. He could see the DC agent and his probies snooping around the office, asking questions. They had asked to look at the painting from the Dunfee house and Neal felt it was just a matter of time before they picked up on his betraying initials. After all, if they had taken the time to read his file, they would know his propensity for showing off and they would be able to spot the tell-tale sign. Once again, he chastised himself for his need to show off.

At five o'clock, he called Sara to let her know he would be home a little late. Sara... he didn't want to keep anything from her but he didn't want her to worry needlessly either. The wedding was two weeks away and she was all wrapped up in making it a wonderful day for both of them. And she had Hope to deal with all day, every day. She was tired at night and all he wanted was to be there for her and the baby and enjoy their 'bubble'.

Peter walked up and as he spoke, Neal was brought back to the here and now. 'Ready, buddy? Let's go.'

'Peter, please don't mention any of this to Elizabeth. I haven't decided if I'm going to tell Sara yet. She doesn't need to worry about this two weeks before the wedding. She's got enough on her plate. I'd hate for Elizabeth to know when I still haven't talked to Sara and I wouldn't want El to accidentally spill the beans.'

'OK, Neal. This is between us. But we might need some help with this. If Stirling figures any of this out, he won't stop to ask questions or try to get an alternate explanation – he's just going to assume you're guilty'

They had arrived at the storage unit and Neal held his breath as he unfastened the lock and slid the door open. As expected, the unit was totally empty except for an old wooden table Neal used to put smaller items on. There was an envelope on the table and it read 'Caffrey'

Neal and Peter looked at each other and Neal nervously picked up the envelope to open it. Inside was a typewritten note that read 'You're going to need this' and tucked away in the bottom of the envelope was a Monopoly 'Get out of jail free' card.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Neal was finishing up on the phone, thrilled at his choice of a wedding gift for Sara.

She had been such a good sport for the past three years – agreeing to always stay within his radius whenever they did anything together, whether it was dinner out or a stroll somewhere. Neal had convinced Peter, who had convinced Hughes, who had convinced the higher ups that Neal deserved to be let off-leash for a few days to enjoy a honeymoon with his new wife. It hadn't been an easy feat but Neal had a clean record over the past few months and with the arrival of his daughter, he had been deemed a very low flight risk. He had a mere 5 months left on his anklet and contrary to his jail breakout four years before, he was showing no signs of being the restless and impulsive man he had once been.

So, it was agreed that Neal's anklet would be removed from 3:00 p.m. on June 14th (one hour before the wedding) to noon on June 18th which allowed for a three day getaway if the newlyweds left on their trip on the morning after their wedding and returned by the following Wednesday.

Of course, Neal had another gift he wanted to give his wife on their wedding night – it was an original painting he had done of Sara and Hope. He had painted it from a photograph he had taken of the two of them when Hope was about a week old. Working from a photograph was not his usual approach to painting but he was pleased with the result and Sara would be totally surprised as she had no idea he had been working on this project. He had set up downstairs in one of the bedrooms at June's (who had been a willing accomplice) and Neal would feign going out for a run and leave for an hour at a time as he worked on his pet project for weeks on end. Luckily Sara had never picked up on this as he often came back up with paint on his hands or arms – he smiled as he realized he could still run a con on the beautiful Ms. Ellis.

Neal thanked the person on the other end of the phone, confirming that they would be arriving mid-afternoon on the 15th and he hung up, smiling. He had not been given a particular perimeter for his getaway, but Neal was conscious that neither he nor Sara would want to stray too far away from Hope and so anything across the pond was out of the question. There would be plenty of time for them to travel to Europe once his anklet came off and together, Neal and Sara could show their daughter the world.

This time, though, his objective was to give Sara a nice romantic getaway where they could simply spend some quality time together, get re-acquainted and simply relax after all the wedding frenzy. He chose a beautiful, picturesque country cottage just on the outskirts of Kennebunkport, Maine. He knew of Sara's love for the ocean and her comparable love of good restaurants and shopping and this seemed to hit all the highlights. They could drive up in less than 5 hours and still be far away from the big city, the demands of work and finally get a full night's sleep.

He was still smiling when Peter walked up to his desk.

'What are you plotting?' Peter said knowingly

Neal's smile still lingered on his lips 'I just confirmed our booking for our honeymoon. I can't thank you enough Peter for going to bat for me. It means everything to be able to take Sara away for a few days. She deserves it for putting up with this anklet all this time. And thanks for taking Hope; we wouldn't feel safe leaving her with anyone else.'

'Believe me, it is our pleasure. You did good, Neal and you deserve this break.'

They looked at each other and the inevitable dark cloud passed over both their faces simultaneously.

'Let's try to solve this case so there are no complications. Have you told Sara yet?' asked Peter

Neal looked up, uncomfortable 'No, I hate keeping anything from her but she's having so much fun planning this wedding with Elizabeth – I can't bear to burst her bubble and tell her I think I'm being framed'

'I think we should tell Hughes what's going on' said Peter as Neal got up and started to protest. 'Listen, if more evidence starts to come to light, it'll be even harder to explain'

'No, Peter. You and I can do this' insisted Neal, keeping his voice low but his tone insistent. 'I think we should start with our case files. Maybe something will jump out at us when we start reading them. We could set up at our place; I'll just tell Sara were working on our case'

'Alright' said Peter reluctantly 'I'll get Jones to send the first few cases over to your place and we'll go systematically – one case at a time. Do you want to ask Jones and Diana for help?'

'Not yet. Let's give it a couple of days and if we come up dry, maybe we can widen our circle a bit' answered Neal

'Neal, we're talking about at least 60, maybe 70 cases we've been on together. That's a lot of research'

Neal smiled wistfully 'Really? That many? Wow, that's incredible...'

'96% recovery rate' Peter couldn't help but smile, satisfied and proud.

'Look' Peter added 'NYPD finally released the footage from the theft at the estate. I've called a meeting for 11 o'clock'

Neal looked on anxiously as Peter walked back up towards the conference room. He picked up his phone and called Sara.

'Is this my beautiful bride?' he asked turning on the Caffrey charm as she answered the phone

Sara laughed 'Hi gorgeous. Can't stay away from me? You've only been gone a couple of hours'

'I just wanted to call and say I love you. You and Hope had fallen back asleep when I left' he said feeling the need to hang on to everything that was right and normal in his life.

'You are being very sweet' said Sara 'will you marry me?'

'Yes, I will. How about a week from Saturday?' he asked with a smile on his lips

'It's a date' she answered and he could hear Hope crying in the background. 'Oops, there goes the romance. Oh and don't forget, four o'clock at Magnolia Cakes on Broadway' said Sara before hanging up.

Neal did a mental eye roll – if that's what it took to keep Sara happy, he could deal – he just couldn't bear the thought of his wonderful new life being pulled out from under him. He had to uncover whoever was doing this and fast.

Sara hung up and tended to Hope who was hungry and wet – a lethal combination. As much as she had originally been unsure about being a stay-at-home mom, she was enjoying it thoroughly for now. She knew she would soon need to get back to her life at Sterling Bosch but she was happy to wait another few months. Neal and Sara had agreed that, in the fall, Sara would go back to work full-time and he would take over as the main caregiver at home. The timing coincided with him coming off his anklet and this heralded a new era where Neal could work as an art authenticator and perhaps work part-time with Peter on some cases. Peter had already put things in motion for Neal's services to be retained at the Bureau. The future looked bright.

Sara had been really struggling with what to give Neal for a wedding gift. Nothing seemed quite right and time was running out. She resolved to talk to her wedding planner about it; Elizabeth knew Neal just about as well as she did and might have some ideas.

WCWCWCWCWCWC

The conference room was a little busier than usual with the addition of the unwelcome guests from DC. Stirling and his minions had insisted on visiting the last crime scene and had spent a lot of time scrutinizing the forgery. So far, they had not contributed anything substantial towards resolving the case.

Peter introduced the footage from the outside of the estate.

'This guy seems to know he's on camera' said Peter 'He looks like he's actually parading for us and he's making damn sure we can see his damn University of Colorado sweatshirt. I'm starting to think that it's a plant' added Peter

'Any footage from inside the house?' asked Stirling in his thunderous voice, trying to sound authoritative.

'No cameras inside' answered Peter 'So we're back to where we were but now we're on the lookout for two paintings instead of one. If no one has anything intelligent to say, I suggest we get back to our menial tasks and keep our ear to the ground'

The group dispersed and went their separate ways. Neal returned to his desk where he had inconspicuously placed the files from the Ryan Wilkes kidnapping as he prepared to scrutinize the case files one by one hoping for a small clue as to the author of the thefts. He pored over the files for the rest of the afternoon, finding nothing of any particular interest and by three thirty, he started to get ready for his date with the cake fairy.

It was a beautiful day, so Neal walked the dozen or so blocks and arrived two minutes before four o'clock. Elizabeth, Sara and Hope were already seated in the waiting area and Neal walked over to kiss Sara and Hope who was lying happily in her mother's arms. She smiled as she recognized her dad and he put out his arms to take her thinking it would free up Sara to look at the various samples and give him something to do with his hands as he was feeling totally out of place. Hope gurgled as Neal began talking to her.

'Hi Neal' said Elizabeth 'I'm really glad you're here. You'll see, it will be quick and painless'

Neal smiled awkwardly.

A young woman walked up to the foursome and introduced herself as Ingrid. She was a cake consultant and she welcomed them to an office towards the back of the store.

'So, this is a wedding, then?' she asked

Elizabeth piped up 'Yes, a small wedding. I'm Elizabeth Burke and I'm the wedding planner and this is Sara Ellis and Neal Caffrey, the happy couple and their daughter Hope.

Ingrid looked down at Hope snuggled in Neal's arms and smiled. 'Congratulations' she said to Neal and Sara 'on both counts' she added

'So what are you looking for?' she asked looking at Elizabeth

'Well' said Elizabeth in her professional voice 'It's a very small affair. Under 20 guests and we are looking for something not too traditional, right Sara?' she said looking at her friend

'Well' added Sara 'we like to walk to the beat of a different drum, that's for sure. We brought our wedding invitation as an example' she said as she pulled an envelope out of her purse. Neal and Sara had talked about going all out and incorporating the same elements they had used on the invitation. Although these images didn't define them, they were still symbolic of parts of who they were, their history and they added whimsy to what they did not want to be a staid and boring affair.

Ingrid looked at the anklet and the baton and was obviously puzzled.

'Without getting into too much detail, these elements say something about us so if we could maybe incorporate them somehow, that would be great' said Sara as she handed Ingrid a copy of the invitation.

Ingrid smiled 'Look, every couple is different and every cake should be individual. I've set up some taste samples in the back if you'd like to follow me'

Neal and Sara smiled at each other knowingly and suddenly this was a lot more fun.

The cake samples included the traditional vanilla and chocolate, red velvet, lemon, orange and coconut flavors, all of them delicious.

The couple agreed on a red velvet cake with off-white butter cream topping and a beautiful overlay on the cake (which Sara knew was reminiscent of her dress but Neal just thought was pretty). It was agreed that a bride with a baton and a groom with an anklet on his left ankle would adorn the top of the cake.

Elizabeth also ordered some cupcakes with the anklet motif for the bachelor party and with the baton for the bridal shower. Both events were merely 9 days away, two nights before the wedding.

The whole exercise was wrapped up in less than an hour and everyone left with a smile on their face and a full stomach from tasting all the samples.

When they returned home, Sara headed up the stairs with Hope as Neal stayed and chatted with June for a few minutes about the events of the afternoon.

'Oh, by the way' said June 'I let a delivery person up to your apartment this afternoon. He was carrying a large box and said it was something Sara ordered for the wedding'

'Great, thanks June' said Neal as he gave her a peck on the cheek and headed upstairs.

A quick look around the apartment didn't produce any box and Neal, not wanting to worry Sara, asked casually if she was expecting a package.

'No, why?' she asked

'June just said someone came by and she asked them to come back tomorrow' he fibbed, trying once again to keep her out of the loop. Neal, on the other hand, had the distinct impression that someone had been in their apartment looking for something or planting some evidence.

After dinner, he offered to take Hope for a stroll and as he walked, he picked up his phone and confided his suspicions to Peter.

'I'll do a quick search later' said Neal 'but I'm worried someone may have left something incriminating in our apartment. I'll see if Mozzie can help and I'll get him to do a sweep for bugs in case the place has been tapped'

'Be careful, Neal' said Peter, worried as he heard this latest news 'You're going to have to tell Sara soon in case she gets pulled into this. If she knows what's going on, she can be more cautious'

Neal knew Peter was right but he also knew that the moment he told Sara his suspicions, everything would change and her carefree demeanour would instantly be replaced by concern for him.

He returned to a quiet apartment, Hope asleep in her stroller and Sara parading around the apartment in a short nightie, brushing her teeth and dancing to something on her Ipod. She didn't see him come in and continued to bop around barefoot, without a care in the world. He smiled at himself wondering how he got so lucky that this amazing woman had stuck with him all this time, letting him come into his own on his terms and in his time.

She finally spotted him and waved suggestively at him and he didn't need any more than that. He was instantly in her arms, grabbing the toothbrush and throwing it across the room, hungrily kissing her toothpaste laden mouth as she laughed huskily. He moved her to the bed in record time, Sara a willing hostage, and he began undressing himself and pulling at her skimpy garment. He was suddenly terrified that she would slip away and that he would lose her somehow and this realization urged him on as he made love to her urgently and forcefully.

Baby Hope just sighed and continued to sleep.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

'Are you sure there's nothing in particular you want us to serve at the wedding?' Sara was calling out from the back hallway, near the bathroom

'Nothing, really' answered Neal. He was walking around the apartment with Hope in his arms getting her to finish the last of her bottle before she went down for the night (or for the first three hours of the night at least) 'Isn't that right, Hope' he added to his daughter 'we don't care, do we as long as there's breast milk'. As if she understood him, or perhaps in answer to his soft voice, she looked up, temporarily dropped the nipple and smiled at him.

Sara came out of the back as she was putting on an earring. She was headed over to the Burkes to discuss the wedding menu with Elizabeth while Neal and Peter were taking over the child minding as they continued to pore over their case files.

'Peter suggested you take his car back and then you can bring it back here at the end of the night. That way, you don't have to take a cab' said Neal as she walked in

'Wow, Peter trusts me with his car!' she said, knowing that was a sore spot for Neal who Peter never seemed to trust with the Taurus

He frowned as a knock came at the door and Peter walked in, handing the keys over to Sara. 'Be good with her' he said

Sara walked over to kiss Neal and gently put her lips to her daughter's forehead before heading out the door.

'So, ready to get started?' said Peter as he unpacked his provisions 'I picked up some junk food to keep us going – some chips, pretzels and peanuts.

Neal frowned a second time and walked towards the back of the apartment to put Hope to bed. When he reappeared five minutes later, Peter was already settled in front of a bowl of bbq chips and an open file. This time, he was the one frowning.

'What?' asked Neal, curious

'I was just looking at our first case – the Dutchman and I was thinking how you used 'exigent circumstances' to get me into the warehouse that night. That was pure genius, Neal although when I suggested you read up on criminal procedure it wasn't so you'd circumvent the law...'

Neal laughed softly, grabbed a file from the box and settled in. It was the case with Ghovat who had hidden his precious cargo in the runway dress. He began to scrutinize the notes from the file looking for anything indicating the perpetrator wanted revenge or any comments directed at him personally.

Whoever was doing this was not presently doing time and had latched on to Neal as the cause of his downfall. Case files typically contained reports from the agent (that Peter often got Neal to write for him), police reports, evidence, background on the perpetrator, information on the sentencing and any statement made by the perp who often used this opportunity to vent and lash out at the FBI.

As the evening wore on, both men began to get tired and a little loopy, high on salt and the anecdotes began to flow, funny stories they alone would appreciate.

'You should have seen your face when I jumped off that building into the bakery's awning, it was priceless' said Neal

'And I couldn't believe you would go to such lengths to clear your name. Promise me, no bakery awnings this time, ok?' said Peter laughing

The friendship between these two men, although it had been fragile at times over the years, was stronger than ever and they knew without the shadow of a doubt that they had each other's back no matter what. Neal's impulsiveness and recklessness were always due to him being painted into a corner or his need to protect someone he loved. He would never be quite free of those characteristics but, particularly since Hope had been born, he was learning to count to ten before he acted too hastily. There was so much more at stake, now.

Suddenly Neal said: 'What about Dobbs?'

'Naw' Peter answered 'he got 25 years, without a chance of parole.'

'I guess we keep digging then' said Neal turning back to his file

WCWCWCWCWCWCWC

'I suggest we start with a few appetizers' said Elizabeth. 'It will be around five o'clock and people with need to nibble a little before dinner. There's this fabulous mushroom crostini and these asparagus wraps which I've had – to die for'

'Sounds good' Sara answered 'what do you think of pork tenderloin for the main course? It's one of Neal's favorites'

Elizabeth leaned in to start writing 'That's a great suggestion, sure beats the rubber chicken people usually serve at weddings!'

She pulled out a couple of menu choices from the best caterers in New York.

'We definitely want it served by the caterer. Believe me, between Hope and your guests and looking fabulous, you don't want to worry about serving anyone' she said, laughing 'Did you finally reach the justice of the peace?'

'Yeah, we're all set. Her name is Pamela Miller and she seems really nice. I'm still trying to bring Mozzie around, though. He really wanted to perform the wedding and his nose is out of joint. I told him he could do a special reading and that seemed to bring him around a little' said Sara

Elizabeth piped in 'Well, I love Mozzie but having him perform your wedding reminds me of the time Neal tried to arrest someone using that sheriff's badge he found in that cereal box. You'd always be wondering if the whole thing was really legal'

After a moment, Sara sighed 'I can't believe it's almost here. Just a week before the shower and the bachelor party. Should I be doing anything about that?'

'Not a thing – that is definitely the maid of honor and the best man's job. So don't give it a second thought' said Elizabeth mysteriously

'Neal's such a great guy' said Sara wistfully 'We've both come such a long way – you know, we are both examples of becoming a better person with the other in our life. Before Neal, I didn't like myself much. It was all work and no play and certainly no feelings. That very first night on the FBI rooftop, he was playful and fun and even though he was conning me at the time, his playfulness was just what I needed.'

Elizabeth looked on – it was true that opposites attract.

Sara went on 'Look, I'm still really struggling with an idea for a gift for Neal. Do you have any thoughts?'

Elizabeth thought for a moment 'Well, you were saying Neal had to give up all his art stuff to make room for Hope. What if you got June to give you a room in the house just for him and you could equip it with everything he needs and when you get to your new house, he'll already have stuff ready to move in'

'That sounds like a really good idea. I'll get on it right away. Oh, and I forgot to tell you, I got the cutest dress for Hope to wear to the wedding. She's going to look so pretty! And it came with a matching hair band – so cute!'

There was no doubt about it - Sara was getting really excited.

WCWCWCWCWCWC

After hours of reading, comparing notes and reminiscing, Peter and Neal's discussion turned to the wedding.

'You know, the other day when you came to talk to me in the office and you looked so serious, I thought you were getting cold feet and you were panicking about the wedding' said Peter, thoughtfully

'Knowing me, you'd think that, wouldn't you?' answered Neal 'But nothing could be further from the truth. Sara is amazing and she's single-handedly brought me to this incredible place in my life. You know, I really didn't think I deserved to be happy but she just waited me out until I finally started to figure stuff out for myself. And having Hope, well, she's just the icing on the cake, you know. She makes me want to be a better person and all those other temptations seem so unappealing in comparison.'

The door opened and in walked Sara 'Really, Peter, it's such a tiny scratch. You can barely see it'

The men started to laugh.

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When Neal arrived at the office at eight o'clock the next morning, it was obvious something was going on.

'What's up?' he asked Diana as he crossed her path

'Another heist with a forgery left behind' she answered as they walked together up to the conference room.

All the usual suspects were assembled including the DC crew and Peter called the meeting to order. Neal held his breath waiting to hear which painting was involved but he knew deep down that it would be one of his favorites, one he would have taken hours to replicate alone in his apartment.

Peter gave him a sideways glance almost urging him to brace himself as he flashed the photograph on the power point for all to see. It was 'The Dance Class' by Degas, a classic if ever there was one and again, a style that Neal particularly loved.

It depicted a chaotic, busy ballet dance class and was full of movement and color and a lot of painstaking detail. It had taken Neal weeks to paint and he remembered fussing with it for the longest time to do it justice. Degas was his all-time favorite artist and just the thought that he could emulate something of such beauty filled him with pride

Peter was talking '...at the Metropolitan, 2nd floor, same MO as the other two. It happened the night before last. The painting is being kept at the Museum until we can verify it as a forgery. This guy is making a fool of us, people, and it's time we find him. Here he is again, lurking in the perimeter with that goofy sweatshirt. He definitely wants us to see him'

Stirling piped up 'How many people have the skill to forge a painting like that, anyway?' His question seemed to be directed at Neal who was being uncharacteristically quiet.

'Well' said Neal 'it's certainly not in everyone's skill set but there are a number of forgers, particularly in Europe who could pull this off'

'Let's get a handle on our regular suspects' said Peter dismissing the group and signalling Neal to come to his office

'Do I need to ask?' he said once they were alone

Neal just sighed and it said it all.

'Alright, let's go see Henri once more and check this one out' Peter said leading the way

It was a formality, of course, and this time, once they were alone, Neal pointed to the tell-tale initials discreetly tucked away in the corner of the painting.

WCWCWCWCWCWC

'Did you talk to June yet about a suit?' Sara was saying something.

'What?' answered Neal, clearly not listening

'The suit, Neal? What is the problem? You've been distracted for days, now'

'It's nothing…'

'Is it… the wedding? Are you having second thoughts? asked Sara, suddenly worried

'No, no of course not. Look, come here' he said taking her hand and walking her over to the couch.

He sat down and pulled her onto his lap, putting his arms around her waist and looking into her eyes.

'It's not the wedding. I can't wait for the wedding… It's the case'

'What is it, Neal? You're scaring me.'

Neal took a deep breath. He had been hoping to keep this from Sara. She had enough on her plate with taking care of Hope and preparing for the wedding. Unfortunately (or fortunately), she had become very adept at reading him and could always tell when something was on his mind – or perhaps he felt so safe in his relationship that he didn't bother to try to hide anything from her anymore….

'I told you about the MO, how this guy keeps taking pieces and replacing them with forgeries'

'Yeah, three thefts, right? she asked

'Yeah, three thefts. Sara, those forgeries he's been leaving behind are mine'

'What? How?' she asked, totally puzzled

'I didn't notice at first. With the museum theft, I never made the connection. I had painted that Pissaro at least two years ago and I just thought the one the thief had left behind was a really good forgery. I even commented how I thought the forger was very talented' he laughed bitterly

Sara listened intently trying to follow the story.

Neal continued 'The second time, with that home invasion, I thought it was really weird that it was another painting that I had copied and I started to examine it more carefully. And then I saw my hidden initials, you know how I always sneak them in there somewhere. Me and my damn ego...'

'So, the first one's yours, too?'

'Peter and I went down to the evidence room and by then I knew what to look for and yeah, it was mine too'

'And this last one'

'Another one of mine, more recent. So Peter and I went down to my storage unit and sure enough, it's empty. Someone cleaned it out.'

'So you think someone's trying to frame you?' asked Sara, growing more concerned

'That's what it looks like. And with those guys from DC down investigating the thefts, it's just a matter of time before they figure it out too and I'll be the prime suspect'

'Who would want to do this?' she asked, realizing that the question was ludicrous

Neal just rolled his eyes at her question.

'It could be anyone from my old life, from prison or from any of the cases Peter and I worked on. That's why I brought the old case files home. Peter and I are going to go through every one of them and see if anything rings a bell. It's obviously someone who's really pissed off at me.'

'Neal, you have to be careful. This person could be dangerous or even violent.'

'I want you to be extra careful too. Be aware of your surroundings and stick to places you know especially when you're out with Hope, ok?' Neal said pulling her closer

Sara wrapped her arms around Neal's neck and held him tight.

'Why is this happening just a few days before our wedding?' she asked, concerned

'Don't you worry about the wedding. I'll be there. Nothing is going to keep me from making an honest woman out of you' said Neal trying to make her smile

Sara just held on tight.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The following few days were a blur of activity. While Sara and Elizabeth saw to the last minute wedding details, Peter and Neal were knee deep in files, scrutinizing every single case they had ever worked on. Neal had finally relented and Jones and Diana were brought into the picture as was Mozzie, who was frantically working his contacts on the street although Neal had a feeling that the thief had no interest whatsoever in fencing any of the stolen items; this was about something else altogether. The friendship between the members of the White Collar team was solid and neither one of the junior suits had had a shred of doubt as to Neal's innocence. Like Peter, they had seen the evolution in Neal and his anguish was palpable when he talked about everything that was at stake if he didn't find out who was behind this.

Neal knew it was just a matter of time before whoever was pulling the strings decided to put his plan into second gear and although Peter and he had swept the apartment and come up empty, he had a nagging feeling something had been planted to incriminate him. He also knew that all it would take was an anonymous phone call to the out-of-town DC crew to set off a thorough investigation of Neal's involvement.

Sara tried to stay out of the way remaining strong and focussed so that Neal wouldn't see how really worried she was. She let Neal and Peter do their thing, acting as a sounding board but not pushing Neal to talk about it unless he brought it up first. She could see the worry in Neal's eyes as their wedding day got closer and, like him, she worried that whoever this sick person was, he was waiting to strike at the worst possible time.

They examined one file after another and ruled out suspects: Luke Donovan (the adoption lawyer – too spineless), Wilkes (too subtle a scheme for him), Bryan McKenzie (still in the slammer). They knew they were looking for someone who wanted revenge on Neal in particular, someone who had a big ego and hadn't appreciated being bested by him.

Hope was now three months old and she continued to change daily. She had started to lift her head for a few seconds while she was on her back and sometimes when Sara or Neal went to get her from her crib, she would hear them and lift her head to see who was coming. She was reaching for things and hitting them with a closed fist, swatting at her bottle or a toy or some unfortunate part of Neal or Sara's face as they came closer to her. She was also sleeping a bit longer than three hours at a time; one morning, Neal had woken up in a panic because it was dawn and she had slept through the night.

All in all, Hope was a main focus for Neal as he tried to cope with the uncertainty of what the next few days and weeks would bring. Whenever he spent time with her, Sara could see him relaxing and enjoying the moment, his worries temporarily tucked away to make way for the pure joy of holding his daughter and talking to her. He had begun to read to her at night, their favorite books were 'Goodnight moon' which had a soothing cadence and 'I'll love you forever' that Uncle Mozzie had given them at Hope's first coming out party. The thought of having to be away from Hope for any length of time terrified Neal and spurred him on his quest to find the truth.

One night, as he worked late, Neal had lost it and had thrown a box of files on the floor. Peter had left for the night and Sara was already asleep in bed when she heard the crashing noise and the expletives from Neal. She slowly walked over to him as he sat at the kitchen table, his head down, feeling totally powerless. Sara stood behind him and put her arms around him, saying nothing, just holding him. He had gotten up and taken her in his arms, holding her so tight she couldn't breathe and they had just stayed that way for several minutes as the anger and frustration started to make way for comfort and relief. He had finally looked at her, tears in his eyes and said 'I'm sorry'. Sara had shaken her head, telling him he had nothing to be sorry about and leading him to the bed where she had held him until he fell asleep. Then, and only then, had Sara allowed herself to cry at the thought that all she held so dear could slip away from her at any minute.

On Thursday morning, Sara woke to the sounds of Hope gurgling in her room. She smiled. Now that she was a bit older, the baby had figured out that she didn't need to cry loudly to indicate she was awake or hungry, she just needed to make some noise and Mommy or Daddy would appear. Sara looked over at Neal who was sleeping peacefully. This was the only respite he ever got these days so she tiptoed away from the bed so she wouldn't wake him.

She found Hope kicking and swatting at the baby mobile with farm animals that Uncle Peter had given her and walked over to pick her up.

'Good morning, angel' she said softly

The smile she got in response was enough to melt her heart.

All of a sudden, she was overcome by fear. What if Neal was arrested for these crimes and put in jail? How could she ever face her life without him? How would Neal cope away from her and Hope? How could Hope grow up without her Daddy whom she already loved so much?

She snapped out of it quickly as Hope started to make her needs known a little more vocally. She needed changing and she was hungry, not having been fed since about midnight, so Sara picked her up and brought her to the change table. A clean diaper did wonders for her disposition as Hope gurgled and smiled. Sara took her into the living area and immediately saw that Neal was stirring from the corner of her eye.

'There you two are' said a sleepy Neal 'come back to bed!'

Sara carried Hope over and she put her down between them, preparing to breast feed as Neal cooed at his daughter commenting on how particularly pretty she was this morning. Sara lay sideways facing Neal and he placed Hope on her breast. After three months, Hope didn't need a diagram to know what to do and she grabbed for Sara's breast and began nursing in one fell swoop. Neal smiled looking very relaxed for a change.

'Big day today' he announced 'bridal shower and bachelor party! I wonder what Elizabeth and Peter have in store for us.' said Neal as he pushed a strand of hair from Sara's forehead

'Like we have any control over that...' added Sara. 'Did you pick up the shirt and tie for the wedding?'

'I followed your instructions to the letter, went with the color scheme you requested and I'm picking them up today' said Neal, dutifully

'I love you in pink' said Sara, smiling

'I think it's more of a fuchsia, Sara, if you don't mind' said Neal 'Can I help with anything else today?'

'I think you have enough on your plate. Are you sure you're ok with Hope here during the bachelor party? Cindy is here visiting June and she offered to take her, you know'

'I'm good. She'll sleep and I just want her close by – maybe it'll keep me safe from too many high jinks from the boys' he added

The plan was to have the ladies congregate at the Burkes for an evening garden party while the men got together at the apartment for Neal's bachelor party. He had a feeling he was going to be in for some good natured ribbing before the night was out.

WCWCWCWCWCWC

Peter had offered to make the trip all the way to Manhattan to pick up Sara and bring her to Brooklyn. He didn't want her having to cab it or take the subway on such an auspicious occasion. Elizabeth had instructed her to dress casually and to be prepared for some fun.

It was five fifteen and Peter was due to pick her up around six thirty. Sara was changing her clothes by the bed while Neal, taking an unusual break from his research was catching up on the news on his computer at the table. He could see her out of the corner of his eye as she stripped down to her bra and underwear and he smiled with a twinkle in his eye as he felt himself stir. He did some rapid math and figured that Hope probably had a good thirty minutes left on her nap so he ventured over to Sara, coming up behind her and snaking his arms around her waist.

'Oh, no you don't, Caffrey' said Sara who knew exactly where this was headed 'Peter will be here soon'

'By my calculations, we have over an hour before Peter gets here' he whispered as he kissed her neck and shoulder 'and a good half hour before Hope wakes up'

Sara turned to face him. God, she loved this guy – how could she possible refuse him. She was already feeling him against her as he pulled her hips in to meet his.

'Is that what you're wearing to the shower' he asked suggestively as his mouth made its way down her throat to the top of her breast 'cause I like it a lot. As a matter of fact' he continued, breathing hard 'I wouldn't mind if you wore this to the wedding'

'Well, I hope you won't be disappointed, then' answered Sara, speaking slowly

'Never' he said as he claimed her mouth, kissing her hungrily and with his intent very clear

Neal pushed Sara onto the bed and climbed on top of her as he struggled with one hand to unbuckle his belt. Sara began unbuttoning his shirt as she noticed her bra flying off into the air. At times like this, it was almost as if Neal grew an extra set of hands. He could be everywhere at once, removing clothes, groping, tugging, touching. She never did figure out how he did it but complaining about it was the furthest thing from her mind.

They finally found each other and began moving in a mellow rhythm, enjoying being together as Neal spoke in her ear, his breath wavering as he rocked in and out. 'I love you, my beautiful Sara' he repeated to the rhythm of their lovemaking. Sara's smile and the look of ecstasy in her eyes was all he asked for in these moments as they connected in the most profound of ways. Through her eyes, he could see her total abandon to what they were when they were together and words were not necessary for her to express how that felt.

After they had both been fulfilled, they lay naked on the bed, panting and marvelling at how easy things were between them, in every way.

'Do you remember the first time we made love?' asked Sara, looking over at him

'Are you kidding? You're asking the king of romance about one of the landmarks of our relationship?'

'Well, I'm asking 'cause I'm not sure' admitted Sara 'Was it at my place or was it here?'

'I'm so hurt' said Neal, feigning disappointment 'and I'm not even going to answer that question. I think you should do a little soul searching, young lady, until you remember. As a matter of fact, I think I should withhold all sexual favors until you can give me a full account of that first time'

'Well, I do remember our groping session in the library' said Sara, smiling at the memory of that night. 'All of a sudden, we were imploding after a few days of flirting'

'A few days?' said Neal 'Try a few years or didn't you notice I was flirting with you the very first time I saw you eight years ago in that courtroom'

'I was trying to stay professional but you didn't make it easy with the way you leered at me from the prisoner's box' said Sara laughing

Neal laughed. In what parallel universe could they have ever come together like this, parents to a beautiful little girl and about to become man and wife.

His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar gurgling noise from the back of the apartment and they looked at each other to see who would make the first move to go get her.

'She's good for a few minutes' Neal said, finally as he turned to kiss Sara once more.

WCWCWCWCWCWC

Edward Walker was talking to the two men in the study of his home.

'Is everything in place?' he asked of the first man

'As you asked, sir' he said as he accepted an envelope from Walker

'And, you, you know what you need to do' he said as he handed an envelope to the second man. The man simply nodded.

'Then we're done, thank you gentlemen. No more contact; you've never heard of me and I've never seen you. Is that clear?'

'Crystal' said the bigger of the two men.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The phone rang in the White Collar unit at six thirty on Thursday evening. The usual suspects were not in the building. Peter, Jones and Diana were all involved with the preparations for the bachelor party and the bridal shower so their offices were empty.

Dwayne Stirling and his underlings, however, were still in the building. Stirling himself was in the conference room and he was going over Neal Caffrey's rather voluminous file - again. He had just found something of interest about Neal and his forgeries and was on his way to the evidence lockup to check on something when Scott Jeffreys, Mr. 'Slimy' walked in, excitedly.

'Boss, I just got an anonymous tip on the thefts' he said out of breath

'The guy says we should check out a storage unit that Caffrey owns on Thornton Avenue. He says one of the missing paintings is stashed there. Plus, this guy says there's an interesting piece of evidence hidden in Caffrey's apartment'

'Let's roll' said Stirling without a moment of hesitation

WCWCWCWCWCWC

When Sara arrived at the Burkes, she was ushered, blindfolded, into the back yard. She could hear Diana and Elizabeth giggling and she could hear some soft music playing in the background.

She was seated in what felt like a very soft chair and finally her blindfold was removed and Sara had her first look around her.

The Burkes' yard had been transformed into a beautiful fairy land. It was still light out but she could see hundreds of little white lights hanging from the trees, a beautiful table filled to the brim with finger foods, appetizers, sangria, and assorted desserts including the beautiful 'baton' cupcakes they had ordered the week before. She looked around and saw that she was sitting on a throne of sorts beautifully decorated for her and that's when she noticed everyone in attendance. Diana and Christie were sitting, smiling at her as were June and Janet, her assistant from work as well as a junior investigator she had taken under her wing, Pauline Collins. Finally, she looked at Elizabeth who was scrutinizing her, relaxing as she saw Sara take everything with a warm smile on her face.

WCWCWCWCWCWC

Over on Riverside Drive, Peter returned from driving Sara to Brooklyn and came into the apartment with his arms full of bags and boxes. In short order, Jones came in with Blake, the probie Neal had particular affection for and finally Mozzie arrived and promptly poured himself a glass of wine. Neal had asked that everything be kept on the low considering the mood the last couple of weeks but that wasn't going to stop Peter from organizing a fun night for this partner and best friend. He had asked everyone to come prepared with some anecdotes about Neal and there was no shortage of stories to tell about the former conman.

Peter morphed into event coordinator and started putting out the mountain of food El had prepared for the guys – hoagies, salads, chips and nibbles as well as a few high end appetizers that would appeal to Neal including some shrimp, vegetable skewers and of course the anklet cupcakes which created quite a stir when Peter put them on the table. Beer and wine (corked) was served and as the noise grew louder, Neal excused himself to check on Hope and close her bedroom door as well as the door to the hall to keep her from being disturbed.

After a few beers, the stories began to get more involved and Mozzie was the first to divulge a couple of sensitive anecdotes including the time he had walked into the hotel room to find Neal in bed with Diana, pretending to get it on and the time he and Neal had infiltrated the Howser Institute with Mozzie pretending to be a mental patient.

'I could hardly keep a straight face' said Neal, laughing loudly 'Moz starts talking like he's totally nuts and I was trying to keep from cracking up in front of the receptionist. I had these honking glasses on and this lab coat and the damn glasses kept slipping off my nose'

'Well, I got the tail end of that one' chimed in Peter 'Neal was blotto by the time I found him strapped to a gurney. He was wailing out this song -'

'Uh, that was the beautiful 'Love is a many splendored thing' for your information' interrupted Neal

'Well, whatever it was it wasn't your best rendition, Pavarotti, and you were wailing it for the whole damn floor to hear. I had to practically carry Neal out of there without being detected; swearing at him the whole time because he'd got himself in yet another mess'

Jones piped up 'As far as I'm concerned, my best Neal story is the time he impersonated you to get that whistleblower to open up. We all watched in horror as Neal walked up to Elizabeth and kissed her 'Hi, hon' he said. Peter, your face was priceless!'

Neal just laughed as he remembered that con, how it had felt to live Peter's life even for just a few days. It was the first time it had crossed his mind that he might want what Peter and Elizabeth had and it was the first night he had kissed Sara, back at the library as they researched the U-boat mystery.

'Well, I loved the Burke's seven con' said Mozzie 'anytime we can get the suits playing on our side of the street is fun for me'

'You have definitely put me through the ringer over the years' said Peter looking at Neal. 'One night, we're having dinner at a neighbor's house and El disappears upstairs for way too long so I go up to find her and lo and behold, she's locked in a room, using a set of lock picks to get out and there's Neal out on the window ledge coaching her.'

'Yeah, well tell the whole story there, Peter' said Neal taking a swig of beer 'The guy was a dangerous thief and El's suspicions were right!'

Finally, Peter took out the lie detector machine he had borrowed from Sterling Bosch, the very one that Sara had used on Neal three years before when she had suspected him of breaking into her apartment. He set it up, as the guys yelped and howled and Peter asked Neal to sit at the kitchen table so he could set him up. Neal rolled his eyes and being a good sport, he followed Peter's instructions.

'Now, Sara's a great lady and I have worked hard over the years to get these two together even though they fought me all the way. From the moment Sara came back into Neal's life, I could see the spark in his eye'

Peter turned to look at Neal. 'That day outside Montebello's when you were acting all suave and debonair, I could tell you were glad Sara was back in your life. And that day Sara walked into the office holding that lie detector, I knew she was falling for you. And the day we escaped the U-boat and you kissed Alex right in front of Sara –'

Neal groaned.

'- I knew you two would work it out. Why do you think I invited you both back to our place for dinner that night? And then, I arranged for you to work on the Stradivarius case together with Sara's ex – I knew that would get your blood boiling. So, after my considerable investment in the two of you, we want to make sure Sara's not making a mistake taking you as her husband so we have a couple of questions for you. After all, you did steal from her, break into her apartment, con her –'

'Ooooh' the guys howled

'...and tried to kill her'

'Alright, alright, I'm ready' said Neal 'ask away'

'Away we go' Peter began his questioning 'Neal, when did you first know that Sara was the one for you?'

'Ooh, leading with the tough one, Agent Burke' said Neal, frowning 'Hum, maybe when we had dinner on the roof of the FBI when she was faking her death –'

The buzzer sounded on the machine, indicating a lie.

'Alright then, when I saw her in the courtroom at my trial eight years ago' he corrected, realizing himself that he knew even back then.

'Ok, that's a pass' said Peter 'Now, what are your favorite things about Sara?'

Neal hesitated for a moment 'Her intellect...' The buzzer sounded '...and how hot she is' The buzzer went silent.

Again, the guys began to holler in appreciation.

'Hey, that's my fiancée, very soon to be wife you are howling about, people' said Neal, good naturedly

'What was going on in the conference room that morning Sara showed up with the U-boat plans?'

'Absolutely nothing' lied Neal 'we were just working on the case' The buzzer sounded once more.

'I can fill in that blank' added Mozzie 'I was at the library the night before when Neal and Sara self combusted by the bookcase. Woo! Talk about an embarrassing moment'

'For you maybe' added Neal as the men started to laugh

'Alright, one last question' said Peter 'Do you promise to love and honor Sara for the rest of your life?'

The room suddenly got serious as Neal answered 'Absolutely' and the buzzer remained silent.

'I want to raise a glass to Neal, a helluva guy with a big heart. Neal has done so much for all of us, he may be impulsive but he's usually motivated by the need to help others and protect those he loves, from the Howser Institute case where he was trying to help June's granddaughter to the time he returned that Haustenberg to its rightful owner to the time he helped Scott Rivers get back on the straight and narrow to the time he gave up the treasure for Elizabeth and I, Neal is a good guy and we wish him all the best in his new life with Sara. To Neal' he added, raising his glass

'Here, here' said everyone in harmony

The merriment was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. Neal looked at Peter questioningly, surely he hadn't gotten a stripper, he hoped.

He opened the door to Stirling and his two probies, who pushed their way past him.

'We have a warrant to search these premises' he said as he flashed a piece of paper at Neal.

Peter stepped up to confront Stirling as the two men walked past him and started snooping around the apartment, moving things around, opening drawers.

'What are you doing, Stirling?' he asked, indignant

'You know exactly what I'm doing, Burke. Now step out of the way and let us do our job' he said, harshly

The probies started towards the back of the apartment and opened the door.

'Hey, my baby daughter is sleeping in there' said Neal trying to keep them from entering

'I don't give a rat's ass who's sleeping in there, Caffrey. Now move away before I make you' said Jeffreys

Neal looked at Peter unsure what to do next.

'Stirling, at least let Caffrey go in and get his daughter out of the room. You don't want to have a screaming baby to contend with' said Peter

Stirling stepped aside and followed Neal into Hope's bedroom as Neal spoke gently to wake her and picked her up in his arms. Hope cried softly but as soon as she heard her dad's voice, she calmed down and curled into his arms. Neal took her out into the main room and sat with her at the table as the men in the room began to rally around him, anticipating what was coming next.

They could hear the three men going through the rooms of the apartment, throwing things around with total disregard for the sanctity of Neal's home. Peter and Neal were communicating with their eyes; Neal obviously distressed and Peter trying to tell him to hang in there.

After about five minutes, a voice could be heard from the back of the apartment 'Got it, sir!'

The three men stepped out from the back and the smaller probie, White, was holding a sweatshirt in his hands, a sweatshirt with the Colorado Buffaloes logo on the front, the very shirt that had been used in all three of the thefts.

Stirling piped up 'Neal Caffrey, you're under arrest for theft, you have a right to remain silent...'

Neal didn't hear the rest. The men came at him and began to pull his arms back as Neal looked at Peter so he would take Hope who was now crying loudly.

'It's ok, sweetie, it's ok' Neal was saying soothingly as he handed her to Peter. 'She needs to be fed in about an hour. Call Sara. Tell her not to worry.'

'Neal, I'll be there as soon as I can. Don't worry about Hope, she's in good hands'

WCWCWCWCWCWC

Back at the Burkes, Sara was opening the last of her bridal gifts. In the spirit of fun, the ladies had all brought sexy, amusing gifts including lingerie, special soaps, some make-out music and even a certificate for belly dancing lessons.

They were just settling down to have some snacks and sangria when the phone rang.

'Hi hon' said Elizabeth as she saw Peter's name on the screen

'El, I need to talk to Sara. Neal's just been arrested'

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Sara took the phone from Elizabeth's shaking hand.

'What is it, Peter?' Sara asked trying to remain calm

'Sara, it's Neal. He's just been arrested'

'Oh my God. What about Hope?' she asked, concerned

Peter looked down at the baby sleeping in his arms. 'She's fine, I'm holding her right now. Listen, I'm going to bring her over there and I'm going to go check on Neal'

'I'm coming with you' said Sara, without a moment's hesitation

'They may not let you see him' warned Peter

'I know you'll find a way to get me in. Hurry Peter' she added before hanging up

Peter arrived a half hour later with Hope in tow and brought her into the house. The women were all waiting around for news about Neal when Peter walked in.

'Stirling says they got an anonymous tip that one of the stolen original paintings was in Neal's storage and when they searched the apartment, they found the sweatshirt that had been used on all of the heists. Someone's done a damn good job of framing Neal and we have to find out who it is if we're going to get him out of there'

Diana piped up 'Boss, why don't I go back to Sara and Neal's place and keep poking around those files for a little while'

He took her aside 'That would be great, Diana. And you may want to tidy up a bit. Stirling and his newbies made a real mess and I don't want Sara going home to that. Jones is still there – maybe you too can keep working until I get back'

Sara fed Hope, handed her over to Elizabeth and promptly left with Peter hoping she would get a few minutes with Neal. He had been brought to a local precinct for processing before being transferred to the courthouse for his arraignment.

Sara shook as she sat in the car and willed herself to calm down for Neal's sake. He would be upset and worried about her and Hope and she had to reassure him that they were both ok. She asked Peter to tell her everything about the case so far, what they knew about the suspect, who they had ruled out and any suspicions Peter might have. She was going to get involved now because it had all gotten very personal – someone was messing with the man she loved, the man she was set to marry in less than 48 hours and she wasn't going to put up with it.

They arrived shortly after midnight and Sara climbed out of the car, calm and focussed. She knew what she needed to do but before she began, she needed to see that Neal was alright.

Peter and Sara walked into the 20th precinct on West 82nd and Peter flashed his badge at the uniform who was at the desk.

'I'm here to see Neal Caffrey. He was brought it about an hour ago' he said, very officially

'Someone will be with you in a minute' said the desk sergeant

Peter looked at Sara who, remarkably, was keeping it together.

'Agent Burke, right this way please' said a uniformed officer who appeared from the back

He led Peter and Sara to a small meeting room with a table and two chairs. Peter sat and Sara paced and they waited about three minutes before the door opened and Neal walked in, looking haggard and pale.

His face lit up briefly when he saw Sara there and without a moment's hesitation, he walked towards her, hugging her as if a force was pulling them together. After a moment, Neal pulled away into look in her eyes.

'I'm sorry' he said, contrite

'You have nothing to be sorry about, Neal' said Sara stoically although she thought her voice might be shaking

Neal turned to Peter. 'The unit is sending a lawyer to represent you tomorrow at your arraignment' said Peter as he stood

Neal just nodded afraid his voice would betray his emotions.

'You haven't called anyone since you've been here, right?' Peter asked Neal

'No, I knew you were on your way so…'

'Good. Save it – you might need to call me later and they will only let you make _one call_. That way, you can let me know what time your court appearance is tomorrow.'

'Ok' agreed Neal

He was listening to Peter but he kept looking at Sara who was showing no sign of weakness or emotion.

'Neal' she finally said 'don't give up, I'm not. We're getting married in less than two days and if you think I'm going to let a small thing like you being in jail keep you from showing up, you're sadly mistaken' she said with a serious face

Neal smiled at her.

'This is only the second time I've been away from Hope for a night. Will you tell her how much I love her and that I'll be home as soon as I can' asked Neal

He could see a flash of emotion in Sara's eyes but she remained steadfast.

'Why don't we just wait and you can tell her yourself' said Sara

Neal turned to face Peter. 'They said I'm being moved to the courthouse before morning. I'll let you know what time my court appearance is at as soon as I know'

'Neal, this isn't over. Diana and Jones are still working away and we're gonna find this guy, don't you worry'

Neal, who still had Sara in his arms, gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and she gave him a weak smile as the door to the room opened and the police officer who had escorted them in announced that it was time to go back to the holding cell. Neal thanked Peter once again and said goodbye as he was taken away.

Peter put an arm around Sara and she began to cry against his shoulder. After a moment, they left and headed back to Brooklyn and neither spoke a word until they arrived on DeKalb Avenue.

WCWCWCWCWCWCWC

Neal lay on his cot, arms folded under his head, staring into space. Unfortunately, this was an all too familiar pose for the man who had spent four years in confinement. Even though he was in a police precinct and not a federal penitentiary, the bars and sparse furnishings were enough to bring back a flood of memories of a life Neal had happily left behind.

He wondered how a conman such as himself could have become ensnared in such a web of deceit. How could he have been outsmarted by someone whose only goal was to punish Neal just for doing his job as a CI. It was obvious that this person had waited until the most disruptive time to make his final move; he wanted this to hurt Neal and those he loved and it did.

It was around 2 in the morning. Peter and Sara had left a little more than an hour ago. He knew Sara was upset and yet she had appeared so strong when he held her in his arms. He should have been the one comforting her yet, in that instant, he had felt her strength and courage seeping into him, telling him without the use of a single word that somehow, they would find a way out. He thought of Hope, beautiful, precious, innocent Hope who didn't deserve to have an absentee dad. He pushed the thought away, he had to get back to his family; they deserved to be together.

He wasn't certain how or when it happened but he could no longer imagine his life without Sara as his partner – she was the strongest and most determined person he had ever met. He counted backwards from Saturday at four o'clock – the wedding was 38 hours away! How would he ever get out of here in time if he couldn't even contribute to finding the culprit? He took a deep breath - he had a lot of people in his corner, Mozzie, Peter, Jones, Diana and of course Sara, his rock. He had to believe that they would do what needed doing to spring him before Saturday afternoon. He just hated feeling so helpless.

He finally slipped into a restless and troubled sleep. He could hear sounds coming from the precinct's reception area as people came in and out. The precinct had a cellblock of approximately twelve individual cells. He could hear one guy from the drunk tank singing some obscure Irish song and every few minutes just as Neal nodded off, he would start singing again.

Neal drifted in and out of sleep. He dreamt of Sara standing under a beautiful arch of flowers - she seemed to be looking around for him. He could see her but she couldn't see or hear him and he struggled to let her know he was there. He woke with a start as his roommate in the next cell started on another verse of 'When Irish eyes are smiling'.

After a while, he decided to use the time to review his wedding vows. He had the written text safely tucked away at home where Sara wouldn't find it but he hadn't yet totally memorized it. He struggled to remember what he had written and after a few minutes, he fell into a fitful sleep once again. This time he dreamt he was holding Hope and she was smiling up at him. Suddenly, Hope was no longer in his arms and he found himself in a large grassed area and he was hitting a golf ball into the faraway ocean. He woke suddenly when he heard some commotion from the front desk as someone was brought in. The dream was fresh in his mind – why golf he wondered, he had never played golf in his life except for that time he hit a golf ball off a rooftop when they were investigating that bank thief, the Architect.

He looked out towards the reception area; it was dawn, he could see some daylight coming through the bars of his cell.

WCWCWCWCWCWCWC

Sara had wanted to get back to searching the case files the minute they got back from seeing Neal but Peter had convinced her to stay over with Hope, get a good night's sleep and head back to their apartment first thing in the morning. At six o'clock, Hope started to stir and Sara got dressed quickly, fed her daughter and was ready to go in 30 minutes, holding back from knocking on Peter's bedroom door. Luckily, Peter was getting up just as she finished getting dressed and Elizabeth followed them both downstairs.

'Sara, why don't you leave Hope with me today? Now that she takes formula, it's a lot easier to care for her for a longer period of time' said Elizabeth, taking the baby from Sara's arms.

'What about all the wedding stuff for tomorrow?' asked Sara 'You've got to be there when they come to set up the garden today' answered Sara

Elizabeth looked at her, puzzled

'I know what you're thinking' said Sara 'but the wedding _is happening_ tomorrow and Neal will be there so everything has to be ready'

'If that's what you want, Sara, I'll make sure everything is ready and don't worry about Hope. Between June and I, we'll take care of her; you go do what you need to do to help Neal'

Logically, Sara wasn't sure what more she could possibly do than what had already been done by Peter, Neal, Jones and Diana but she had to do something and she had to believe she could make a difference. She kissed her daughter goodbye and followed Peter out to the car.

She barely spoke all the way to Riverside Drive and Peter didn't push it. He was trying to hatch a plan to spring Neal and he was coming up empty. As soon as they got to June's, he was going to call Hughes and see what could be done at that end. But there was substantial evidence against Neal – his forgeries left at the site of the thefts, the original painting found in his storage unit and the damn sweatshirt Stirling's men had found under Hope's mattress. Neal and Peter had searched the apartment thoroughly but they never thought someone would be warped enough to stash evidence under a baby's mattress.

Until they knew who to focus their attention on, they were helpless. Peter remained convinced that the answer was in one of those case files. They had maybe half a dozen cases left to look through and when they arrived, Diana and Jones were already at work and they had brought coffee for everyone.

They both hugged Sara as she walked in and she pulled up a chair, grabbed a case file and got to work with the rest of them. Mozzie arrived within minutes and sat at the table as he poured himself a glass of wine. He wasn't sure how he could help but he was ready to jump into action as soon as he was needed to get his buddy out of jail.

WCWCWCWCWCWCWC

Neal was pacing his holding cell waiting to be called in to his hearing and his mind was in overdrive. Although he didn't have any case files in front of him, he could remember every single one of the criminals they had investigated over the past four years and he began to categorize them in his mind.

Neal believed that there were three major types of criminals in white collar crime. There were the opportunists, the violent thieves and those with huge egos who did it for the thrill and who loved to outsmart the authorities. He began to place all the criminals he and Peter had chased into one or the other of the categories.

The opportunists were those thieves who carried out thefts because of the situation they were in. They weren't career criminals, they were simply at the right (or wrong) place at the right (or wrong) time. He immediately thought of Juliana's uncle Gary who had stolen her Haustenberg and of Sullivan who had covered his tracks leading back to the bad batch of Zybax and Jennings, the corrupt politician who took advantage of his position of power and better yet, Luke Donovan, the spineless adoption lawyer. This type of criminal didn't fit the profile in this situation.

The violent criminals were the most dangerous – they were impetuous and often irrational. They didn't care if they had to physically hurt or even kill someone who got in their way. They would not take the time to plot revenge; they would rather be in your face than in the shadows waiting patiently to trip you up. Ryan Wilkes came to mind as did Matthew Keller or even that guy, Ghovat, who had smuggled his loot in the designer dress. He didn't think that this was the type of criminal they were looking for either.

And finally, there were the criminals with big egos - like him - who took pleasure in outsmarting the authorities and who goaded the police, taking satisfaction in the art of the crime. These were criminals like the Dutchman, Curtis Hagan or Scott Rivers who was a brilliant kid but didn't have a vengeful bone in his body.

He was convinced that whoever had plotted against him was someone who hated to be outsmarted – someone Neal must have ticked off during the investigation. The person they were looking for was not only brilliant but also had a vengeful streak and might have done time but never forgot that Neal had contributed to putting him away.

Finally, he thought of the Architect, Edward Walker. He was a piece of work. Neal remembered listening in on his interrogation. Walker was adamant that he had an army of lawyers and that no snot nosed CI was going to be successful in putting him away. Walker had a huge ego and a vengeful streak; a lethal combination. He started to wonder how long he had been put away for. This carefully constructed con to frame Neal was just the type of thing a guy like the Architect would carry out... Suddenly, he flashed back to his bizarre dream – was it a coincidence, he wondered. There's no such thing, he thought.

'I need to make a phone call!' said Neal

WCWCWCWCWCWC

They had been working for about five hours and Mozzie offered to go out and pick up lunch for everyone. Diana was researching the corrupt politician Jennings; Jones was re-reading the case involving Ford, June's old friend, Peter was on the phone with Hughes and Sara was looking over the files from the bank robberies carried out by the Architect.

Sara remembered Neal talking about this case – how the thief, Edward Walker, had been a seemingly upstanding businessman who had successfully carried out bank heists in several cities. Neal had been particularly proud of the fact that he had been the one to uncover his identity by using the calling card Walker left at all his crime scenes. It had simply read 'The Architect' and Walker had used a very unusual font for the 'A', one that matched the signature of a Russian artist that Walker had a particular affection for. Neal had matched up the initials and that had led the FBI straight to Walker.

Walker seemed to have the right type of profile, thought Sara as she continued to read. The interrogation transcripts showed that he was particularly incensed that a CI with a criminal past, and a young cocky one at that, had been the one to figure out his identity after he had managed to escape recognition in Boston, Chicago and Dallas. She continued reading. This guy was well educated, a graduate from the University of Colorado.… She stopped.

'Guys, I think I might have something here' said Sara 'Edward Walker, the Architect. He was really pissed off that a lowly CI had figured out his identity and he's a graduate from the University of Colorado. Oh, wait a minute, never mind, he got five years so he's still in jail, according to this'

Jones was busy typing in some information on his laptop.

'No, he is _not_' he said with emphasis 'The guy was released last month for good behavior'

'That's him. I'm sure of it' said Peter triumphantly 'Jones, where is he now'

'Current address: 1789 West 48th in Battery Park' said Jones as he continued typing

Peter's phone rang.

'Peter, I think it's the Architect' said Neal, out of breath

'We're on it, Neal. Hang tight!'

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

It was three o'clock in the afternoon by the time Peter convened an altered version of the Burke's Seven. He had begun to hatch a plan to recover the incriminating evidence from Edward Walker and he was going to take a page out of Neal's warped interpretation of 'exigent circumstance' to do it.

After reading about 'exigent circumstance' during their very first case with the Dutchman, Neal had come up with a very unique plan to catch the conman in the act. Peter and Neal had suspected that behind the doors of a warehouse by the river, Hagan and his crew were illegally printing bank bonds but the FBI didn't have enough evidence to get a warrant. Neal, impulsive as always, didn't care if he had to circumvent the law to prove it so he purposefully went out of his radius, entered the warehouse under false pretenses and waited for Peter to come and collect him. He knew Peter would be informed that he was out of his radius and that he wouldn't have a choice but to enter the warehouse to get his wayward CI and he knew that anything illegal they uncovered accidentally could be used against the suspect. And bam! The plan had worked.

So Peter began to think of ways he could get into Walker's home to find any incriminating evidence and his mind was working in a lot of gray areas... To get the ball rolling, Mozzie had been dispatched to Walker's address to stake things out and upon his return, he reported that Walker was definitely hiding something in his large garage. He had managed to get a peek and it was obvious there were several pieces of art stashed there but he wasn't able to confirm what the paintings were.

Mozzie contributed some helpful details: the front of the garage was facing the street in a very well to do neighborhood but the back was off a quiet lane that lead to the garages down the street. An entrance door was off to the side of Walker's garage and it had small windows that had been painted over. Mozzie had managed to use one of his Russian army surplus gizmos to make a small hole and have a look inside. Peter did not want to know those details and didn't ask – plausible deniability…

Around the table sat Sara, Peter, Mozzie, Jones, Diana, Cindy (June's granddaughter) and her boyfriend Waylon. Peter needed some help with the con he was about to pull and Cindy was happy to help out. She had a lot of affection for Neal and she was no stranger to Neal and Mozzie's shenanigans. As a matter of fact, she had even helped them successfully pull a 'Phoebe Cates' back when Neal was covering up his involvement with Adler's treasure.

There was no time to get a search warrant and with Stirling and his crew gloating about closing the case, Peter would have a difficult time getting them to re-open the investigation. Their best bet was to come forward with indisputable proof that Walker had planned the whole operation and that Neal was innocent.

Mozzie's job was to provide access to the garage by the side door where Cindy and Waylon would step in and create a disturbance. They discussed a scenario by which Cindy would scream that she was being attacked. Diana and Jones would 'happen' to be in the neighborhood in order to question Walker regarding the investigation. They would be forced to investigate when they heard screaming, this being an exigent circumstance since someone's safety was at stake. Once inside, the agents could use anything illegal they found there even if their original reason for entering the premises was unrelated. The paintings would be discovered and Diana and Jones would report to Hughes who would make certain to include Stirling and his men in the takedown and questioning. Using Cindy and her boyfriend, who were not known to be involved with Neal in any way, would ensure more credibility, reasoned Peter.

Of course, this was not the intent of 'exigent circumstance' but if it worked once, Peter hoped it would work again; this time to save Neal and get him to his wedding on time.

WCWCWCWCWCWCWC

It was four o'clock and Neal was going stir-crazy. They still hadn't come to get him for his arraignment and he hadn't heard anything from Peter. Were they making any headway? Did they have a plan?

Neal was not used to having to sit on the sidelines and he had already mentally come up with a couple of plans to get the evidence that would clear him – if only he could get out of this holding cell and carry them out. He tried not to think about breaking out even though those thoughts were definitely burgeoning in his mind. That would just make things worse, he thought. He hoped that no news was good news and he trusted that Peter and Sara were on to some plan to get him out. The wedding was 24 hours away and he couldn't bear the thought of not being there, waiting for Sara at the altar. He alternated between sitting on his cot, pacing his cell and laying down every few minutes just to keep moving.

Trust, he kept repeating. Trust.

WCWCWCWCWCWCWC

Diana rang the doorbell and waited on the doorstep of 1789 West 48th Street. A young woman opened the door and smiled.

'How can I help you' she said politely

'Ma'am we're with the FBI, we're here to speak with Mr. Walker. Is he in?' asked Diana showing her identification badge.

'I'll see if he's available' she said, standing aside to let them in. She seemed to be some sort of assistant of secretary and they saw her disappear into a room near the front of the house as they stood there waiting.

Edward Walker was in his study; he overheard the commotion at the front door and he smiled to himself. They wouldn't be able to stick anything on him. He had used intermediaries at every turn, not wanting to get his hands dirty. This was going to be fun, he thought, feeling cocky.

He stepped into the hallway.

'Edward Walker' he said putting out his hand 'what can I do for you?'

'Sir, we are investigating a series of thefts…' started Jones

'Agent, certainly you don't mean to insinuate that because I was charged and found guilty of a previous crime, I am being targeted here. I did my time and I am an upstanding citizen. By the way, does Agent Burke still work at the White Collar unit and what about that arrogant criminal consultant of his – Caffrey, was it?'

'Sir, we do have a few questions if we could just –'

Diana was interrupted by a loud shriek from just outside the house. She and Jones headed back out the way they had come in with Walker close behind them.

The shrieking continued 'Help, help someone please' a woman was screaming

It was coming from the garage next to the house. Jones began a perimeter search of the structure and came to a side door which he proceeded to kick down to Walker's protests that they had no right to go in there.

'Sir, we suspect someone is in danger inside this garage and it is our duty to investigate' said Diana, trying to keep a straight face and following Jones as he made his way inside. A young man ran out, almost knocking Jones off his feet and started down the alley as Diana yelled after him.

'Stop, FBI' she yelled as she began to run after him

The young man ran between the houses to a back street as if he knew exactly where he was going and within a few seconds he had totally disappeared from sight. Diana returned to Walker's property and entered the garage where they found Cindy, crying, doing her darndest for an Oscar nomination. She sobbed as Diana put an arm around her and Jones began to look around. There were at least two dozen assorted paintings throughout the garage and as Jones began examining them more carefully, Edward Walker came running in behind them.

'You have no right to be in here' he said, outraged

'Sir, we do' insisted Jones 'Is this your property?'

'It most certainly is' said Walker, indignant

'Sir, we are investigating several art thefts and until we can ascertain that none of these paintings have been stolen, I'm afraid we're going to have to bring you in for questioning' said Jones. 'I would suggest you cooperate; I'd hate to have to cuff you'

'This is ridiculous' shouted Walker as he was slowly taken away

'Miss' said Diana making a show of it as Walker was being led to the car, 'I suggest you put in a complaint with the NYPD so that they can begin an investigation on your attacker' she said winking at Cindy.

'Thank you' said Cindy, wiping her eyes

Jones and Diana called in the incident and by the time they arrived at the Federal Building with Walker in tow, Peter, Hughes, Stirling and his underlings were all waiting in the conference room. Walker looked around and his eyes fell on Peter who gave him a small satisfied smile.

Hughes and Stirling did the honors, interrogating Walker and a team was dispatched to his home to bring in all the art that had been discovered for analysis. It took several hours to ascertain that Walker was indeed in possession of two of the three stolen paintings. Walker gave up his accomplices in order to get a better deal and they were both forthcoming and admitted to planting the third painting in Neal's storage as well as stealing Neal's copies and planting the sweatshirt in his appartment.

Sara had waited patiently all day since she had not been allowed to see Neal. Peter called around 8 o'clock to let her know that Neal was definitely going to be released but that they were waiting on some formalities. He was being brought to the Federal Building and was going to be questioned before he was released.

As they were leaving the courthouse, Neal dialed Sara's number

'Hey, Repo' said Neal

'Oh, my God, have you been released?' asked Sara not wanting to get too excited.

'We just left the courthouse and it may be a few hours still because I have to give a statement but I'm out' said Neal sounding very relieved

'I can't wait to see you' said Sara 'and neither can Hope'

'It might be really late' said Neal 'and we had talked about spending the night before our wedding apart so should I head over to Peter's for the night like we planned?' he asked, unsure himself what to do

Sara sighed. That was certainly the logical thing to do. She could get to bed early and put Hope down for a quiet sleep and she would see Neal at the wedding.

'Part of me can't wait to see you but I guess you're right. Let's stick with the plan. After tomorrow, our new life starts and we'll have plenty of time to be together' she said with a twinge of sadness 'Even if it's late, can you call me when it's all done - I'll sleep better if I know this ordeal is over for you' she added

'Will do' said Neal 'I love you. And Sara, thanks for not giving up on me'

'For better or for worse, Caffrey' she said before she hung up

WCWCWCWCWCWC

Sara could hear the rain pelting the sunroof over the bed as she drifted in and out of an unseasy sleep. Suddenly, she felt a presence and opened her eyes to see someone standing over the bed.

She gasped just as she recognized Neal.

'Neal, you scared me. What are you doing here?' she said half asleep as he pulled back the covers to slip into bed next to her.

'I couldn't stay away' he admitted as he opened his arms to her. 'I just spent five minutes staring at Hope sleeping'

'I never heard you come in' Sara said as she curled up into his arms

'Peter lent me his car since it was so late' he said with a smile in his voice

'Wow, it must really be a special occasion' Sara said in agreement 'Is everything settled?'

'Mostly, for now' answered Neal 'now we can concentrate on tomorrow' he said, kissing her hair

'You mean later today... what time is it anyway?' she asked, looking over at the clock by the bed

'About two thirty' said Neal, yawning. The past 24 hours had been anything but restful and tomorrow was a big day.

'I heard that you're the one who cracked the case.' he said, softly 'They're going to have to hire you over at the White Collar unit'

Sara smiled 'I got one piece of the puzzle but Jones was the one who found out Walker was no longer in jail. Peter told me you'd also figured it out'

'I guess taking a step away from all those files helped me to focus on the important elements of the case. I hate to admit it but being able to put myself in Walker's place helped me to see things more clearly. And I had the weirdest dream about golf, that's what clinched it for me – I guess my subconscious was also working stuff out'

'Golf?' asked Sara, not understanding the link between golf and the case

'When we were investigating Walker the first time, he had set up a driving range on his rooftop so he could hit golfballs into the Hudson River. When we paid him a visit, he had goaded me into trying to hit one just so he could criticize my technique. I'd never hit a ball before and haven't since so when I dreamt about golf, it brought me back to him'

'Hum' said Sara 'Do you realize that tomorrow night when we go to bed, we will be husband and wife' said Sara needing to focus on the happy event and leave the case behind

'And not a moment too soon' added Neal looking into her face and planting a probing kiss on Sara's lips

'Why, Mr. Caffrey, are you suggesting one last fling before we become legal'

Neal just smiled that naughty smile and pulled Sara in for a long, lingering kiss.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The rain ended and Saturday morning dawned sunny and clear – the perfect day for an early summer wedding. Sara woke with a start and looked at the time – 9 o'clock. How come she hadn't heard Hope? She turned and noticed that Neal was no longer in bed; there was a note on his pillow.

_**Meet me in the garden at four o'clock**_

_**Neal xx**_

_**p.s. Hope has been fed and changed so enjoy sleeping in**_

She smiled as she thought about Neal's nocturnal visit. If it hadn't been for his note, she might have thought she dreamed it all. She lay for a moment thinking of the day ahead – it was finally their wedding day and Neal had been cleared of suspicion. She thought ahead to everything she had to get done in order to be ready on time. Elizabeth would be over any minute and they both had hair appointments at eleven.

She got up quickly to check on Hope and she found her happily lying in her crib, playing with her mobile and trying to grab a toy that Neal must have put in her crib before he left.

'Good morning, sweetheart' she said as she entered the room and prepared to pick up her daughter. Hope gurgled, happy to see her mom. 'Today is a special day, sweet girl. You are going to wear a pretty dress and Mommy and Daddy are going to get married. And then we'll have a big party and you'll see all the people you love and Mommy and Daddy are going to have a special dance and they we'll have another really special dance with you. Yes, it's true' she continued as Hope gurgled and responded every time Sara paused.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. 'I'm betting that's Auntie Elizabeth' said Sara, carrying her out of her room. Hope continued to smile contentedly.

'Good morning' said Elizabeth, beaming, as Sara opened the door 'and good morning, you beautiful girl' she cooed at Hope taking her from Sara

'So, did you have a nice sleep in?' she asked knowingly

'What time did Neal arrive back at your place?' asked Sara, preparing to make some coffee for them

'He's been over there for hours' answered Elizabeth. 'He and Peter have already had breakfast, Neal's showered and his clothes are already laying on the bed in the guestroom – and that's all you're getting out me. You'll have to wait to see the rest for yourself at the wedding.'

'Does his shirt match what I'm wearing and the boutonniere?' asked Sara, wanting more details

'You never mind about his shirt, I want you to have some surprises too. Now, let's concentrate on you. I've arranged for Hope to spend most of the day with June. Cindy's going to give her a hand and that way, we can work on you and put the finishing touches on everything.'

Sara was making coffee as she looked up 'How does the garden look?' she asked. The previous day had not been conducive to thinking about anything but Neal and getting him out of jail and she had not gone down to check things out.

'It is amazing!' answered Elizabeth 'Even better than I had imagined and believe it or not, when I drove up just now, the caterers were already here and they've started to set everything up in the dining room. So, come on, grab your coffee and get in the shower! Let's go'

WCWCWCWCWCWCWC

Back at the Burkes, Neal and Peter were sitting at the dining room table having coffee and going over the details from the day before.

'So tell me, how did you do it?' asked Neal, as he put some cream in his coffee

Peter smiled trying to be evasive 'I'm not sure you want to know all the details' he said taking a sip of coffee 'I'm afraid certain parts of the plan may incriminate me but I learned from the best' he added, pointing at Neal.

Neal waited expectantly.

'Let's just say that I remembered your unusual interpretation of what exigent circumstance meant and that pointed me in the right direction. That way, we were able to get our hands on the evidence we needed'

'Peter, I can't thank you enough for everything. As usual, you've gone above and beyond' said Neal

Peter studied Neal's face 'Well, like I've always said, it's all about justice and you were being unfairly accused so...'

Neal just smiled, appreciatively.

'And' added Peter 'you can't discount Sara's contribution to solving the case. If she hadn't spotted certain minute details in the case file, we may have overlooked them. She's one feisty lady, Neal' he added

'Tell me about it' answered Neal 'I don't ever want to find out what my life would be like without her. She's my rock and I just want to live up to her expectations, you know – be the man she deserves'

'Well, I don't think you have any worries on that count. The way she looks at you...'

'Yeah, lucky me' said Neal letting his voice trail

'So, what's on the agenda today?' asked Peter 'what can your best man do to help?'

'Well, my clothes are all sorted out. I've got my vows in my jacket pocket. Oh, the rings, where are the rings?'

'Got'em' said Peter pointing to his pocket

'The honeymoon is all set and Mozzie's picking up the rental car for me. I just hope Sara will be alright with me springing it on her - and that she'll be ok with leaving Hope for a few days. And the painting I'm giving her is all set up in one of the bedrooms upstairs at June's. I haven't been involved in all of the planning but...'

'You don't have a thing to worry about' said Peter 'your wedding planner is already over there and believe me, she has left nothing to chance. I know how anxious you are for today but you're not the only one, I'm finally going to get my wife back'

WCWCWCWCWCWCWC

Sara and Elizabeth were on their way out to their hair appointments and they met the florist who was just coming in. He was bringing in the flower arrangements, the bouquets, the decorations for the arch as well as all the little extras Elizabeth had ordered. Sara asked to speak to him as he came in carrying a centrepiece.

'Will you be delivering the boutonnieres to Brooklyn when you leave?'

'Yes, I'm going over as soon as I'm done here' said the florist

'Could you please deliver this package as well while you're there? It's for the groom'

'Sure' he said 'I can do that'

Sara thanked him as Elizabeth looked questioningly at her. 'It's just a little surprise for Neal' said Sara as they left the house. She waved back to say goodbye to Hope who was happily playing in Cindy's arms.

The hairstylist was running on time and both Sara and Elizabeth stepped out looking fabulous by the time one o'clock rolled around. Elizabeth suggested they grab a quick bite before they went back to June's. It would be hours before they had the chance to eat again and she certainly didn't want Sara fainting from hunger.

By the time they got back to June's, it was almost two o'clock and the place was really buzzing. The caterers had set the table for the sit down dinner and had arranged a whole area of the living room for the appetizers and cocktails which were to be served immediately after the ceremony. The flowers were set up all over the house and looked beautiful. Elizabeth had also arranged for fairy lights everywhere in the dining room and living room creating a dramatic yet dreamlike decor. A corner of the living room, by the piano was set up for the string quartet that would be playing during the cocktail hour and for the DJ Mozzie had hired for some special music Neal and Sara had chosen.

The garden had been overtaken for the occasion and although it was not a very large space, Elizabeth had made use of every square inch of it. She had installed a gazebo, beautifully decorated, in one corner of the yard for anyone who wanted to come and have a drink outside and the yard was covered in beautiful lights for the wedding dance that Sara and Neal would share later. The arch was in the centre of the garden, covered in ivy and orchids. Beautifully covered chairs were set up for the twenty or so guests who would be arriving within a few hours.

Elizabeth ushered Hope and Sara upstairs to the apartment to start getting ready. It was show time!

WCWCWCWCWCWC

The doorbell rang at the Burkes and Peter answered expecting Jones and Mozzie. They were going to share a toast before they made their way over to June's. But it was the florist delivering the boutonnieres for both Peter and Neal. Right behind him, however, Peter could see Jones and Mozzie coming up the street. They stepped in looking very well put together and Peter pointed to the champagne on the table and excused himself to go finish dressing.

On the way to his bedroom, Peter knocked on the guest room door. There stood Neal, checking himself out in the mirror, looking like a groom should. He wore a beautiful vintage suit that June had agreed to lend him which complemented the shirt and tie in shades of pink and fuschia, just as Sara had asked. He looked very handsome and a little nervous and Peter noticed he was holding something in his hands. Neal turned to look at Peter as he heard him enter the room.

'Your boutonniere has arrived' said Peter as he carried the box over to where Neal stood.

'Perfect timing, Peter' said Neal as he turned to face him. 'I've got a little something for you' he said handing him a beautiful silver plated pocket watch and Peter reached out to take it, tentatively. He could see the inscription on the outside. It read 'To Peter, my friend, my partner, my best man' and it had the date inscribed. Peter looked up at Neal and his eyes filled with tears.

'Wow, this is beautiful' he said, trying to blink away the tears that were threatening to fall

'Peter, you're the father I never had growing up and I know I've put you through a lot. I know that you've worried about me over the years, thinking I would sink to the dark side but thanks to your support, I think I've come out the other end. I can't tell you I will always make the right decisions or that I'll never make mistakes again but I can tell you that I've heard every single thing you've ever told me and that your voice is always playing in my head whenever I have to make a decision. I hope I can live up to your expectations and that I can be the kind of man you are someday'

'Oh, Neal' said Peter 'you already are'

The men hugged, awkwardly at first but they both knew that the bond between them would endure for many years to come. Peter wiped his eyes as did Neal and they laughed at their predicament.

'Here, let me put this thing on you' he said as he opened the box and began to fiddle with Neal's lapel. Neal stood still as Peter pinned the orchid on him and realized as he looked at himself in the mirror why Sara had asked for this color shirt; the boutonniere matched perfectly.

'And the florist left this for you, too' said Peter handing Neal a box. Neal opened the box and found a note inside. It read: _**'I love you, Caffrey'**_. Inside the box was a set of cufflinks; one said 'Today I marry' and the other 'The man I love'. Neal smiled. He removed the boring cufflinks he had just put on and replaced them with the ones Sara had sent.

'Oh, and one more thing' Peter added as he held the key to Neal's tracking anklet 'as promised.' They moved over to the bed and Neal put his leg up so Peter could unlock the anklet and remove it.

'You're a free man until Wednesday noon. Now, if I don't hurry up and get changed, your bride is going to be left waiting at the altar. Mozzie and Jones are downstairs if you want to head down' he added. '

Neal grabbed his vows which he had put on the dresser and headed down to greet his friends.

WCWCWCWCWCWCWC

Meanwhile, back at June's, Sara was busy getting Hope ready for the wedding. After a quick bath and change, Hope was dressed in a beautiful off-white dress with overlay, very similar to her mother's and a matching hair band in which Elizabeth had placed an orchid which looked fantastic on her dark, curly hair. Hope looked pleased with herself and when she smiled, Sara grabbed the camera to get a few shots of her.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was slipping into her maid of honor dress. She had kept it a secret from Sara and when Elizabeth joined her in Hope's room, Sara was totally delighted with her choice. Picking up on the magenta in the orchids and in Peter's shirt, she wore a short dress with off the shoulder sleeves and a cinched waist. She looked amazing.

'Alright! You are the main attraction, so let's go' Elizabeth said as she guided Sara towards the bed where her dress, stockings and shoes were laid out.

'Before I get dressed, I just want to give you a little something' said Sara to her friend. 'We have spent so much time together this past month and you have single-handedly given us a magical wedding and I'm never going to be able to thank you enough'

Elizabeth just smiled 'You have no idea how much fun I've had' she said

'I know that no gift could convey the depth of my gratitude' continued Sara 'but I got you a subscription to a bouquet of the month club. That way, I'll be able to show you every month how much I appreciate all you've done'

'That's a lovely idea. Thank you' said Elizabeth as she hugged Sara.

'It's three thirty, Sara. Time to get dressed! I'll bet the guys are here and the guests have begun to arrive. How about I bring Hope down so Neal can spend a few minutes with her and I'll be right back. You get started, ok?'

At the mention of Neal's name, Sara felt the emotion rising in her and she wiped a tear.

Elizabeth came down the stairs carrying Hope and spotted Peter who was walking in the front door followed by Mozzie and Neal. She could hear the string quartet playing subtly and beautifully in the background as she stepped off the staircase.

'Hi hon' Peter said when he saw her 'you look amazing!'

Elizabeth smiled and gave him a hug 'You clean up pretty good yourself, Agent Burke'

At the sight of Hope, Neal piped up 'Oh my God, who is this pretty girl?' he said. Hope recognized his voice even before she saw his face and began to kick and gurgle. Elizabeth smiled at Neal as she handed Hope over to her daddy.

'Wow, if Mommy looks half as pretty as you, she's going to look amazing' he said talking to his daughter. He carried Hope into the living room where the guests had started to arrive. He began to take in the sight of the dining room and living room and turned to look at Elizabeth giving her a big thumbs up.

Neal began greeting the guests. He walked up to June and gave her a kiss; she looked at Neal and his beautiful daughter and became emotional. Neal was the son she had never had and to see him like this on his wedding day filled her with pride and joy.

He then went over to say hello to Diana and Christie, Blake and Reese and his wife. He also spotted Janet, Sara's assistant at Sterling Bosch and another woman he assumed was Pauline who worked with Sara. As he turned around he saw that Clinton had arrived having made a detour to pick up his date. Neal walked over to introduce himself still holding Hope in his arms - she was thriving on the attention as long as she was safely in her father's arms.

He spotted Cindy and a young man he deduced was the famous Waylon and walked up to say hi.

'Cindy' he said kissing her on the cheek 'I heard what you both did for me yesterday and I can't thank you enough'

'It was our pleasure Neal' said Cindy 'I'm glad everything worked out and thanks for inviting us to the wedding'

'You must be Waylon' Neal said putting out his hand 'I'm Neal and this is my daughter Hope. Thanks for your part in this. You two enjoy the party' said Neal as he spotted the justice of the peace arriving at the door.

He had met her on two previous occasions when he and Sara had gone to her office to discuss their choice of readings and music for the ceremony.

He walked up to her 'Pamela, it's nice to see you again'

'Hi Neal' she said taking his outstretched hand 'This must be that gorgeous daughter you were telling me about' she said as she took Hope's hand.

Elizabeth joined them, introduced herself and brought her out to the garden to show her where the ceremony was to take place. She then took one last look around and pleased that everything was in place, she started up the stairs when Neal caught up with her.

'Elizabeth, this is more amazing than I could have possibly imagined' he said, with a mega-watt smile 'Thank you!'

Elizabeth touched his arm 'Believe me, Neal, it is really my pleasure'

Neal looked up the stairs. 'Is Sara ok?' he asked

'You'll find out in about five minutes' said Elizabeth

'Can you please give her this from me? And tell her I'm waiting'

'Sure' said Elizabeth as she took the small box from him

Elizabeth opened the door to the apartment and there stood Sara, a vision. The dress, which already looked amazing was even more incredible with her hair up and the orchids in her hair. Sara looked at Elizabeth, apprehensive.

'I'm going to need a little help with some of these buttons' she said turning around and showing Elizabeth the back of her dress'

Elizabeth fastened the last few hard to reach buttons and Sara turned to face her

'Well, what do you think?' she asked

'You are so beautiful. I cannot wait to see Neal's face when you walk out there. I just saw him and he is so anxious to see you – he asked me to give you this'

Sara looked at Elizabeth's hand. She held a note and a small box. The note read: _**'Come and be my wife, love Neal'. **_Sara opened the box and set her eyes on a pair of beautiful pearl earrings. She grinned and excitedly removed the ones she was wearing and replaced them with Neal's gift marvelling at how they seemed perfect and made her outfit complete.

She took one last look in the mirror, picked up her bouquet and stepped out of the apartment and into her new life.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Sara arranged her bouquet one last time, took a deep breath and started slowly down the stairs, followed closely by Elizabeth. Neal kissed his baby daughter, handed her over to June and took his place by the back door waiting to escort his bride the last few feet out to the garden.

Peter followed suit so he could be there to offer his arm to the maid of honor.

The guests were assembled in the living room on either side of the room so the bride and her maid of honor could walk between them and lead the way to the garden where the guests were to follow and a take a seat.

Everyone was in place and awaiting the arrival of the bride and her maid of honor.

Sara and Neal had eclectic tastes in art and music and they had picked a number of pieces of music for their wedding day including one for Sara's arrival. Since this was the moment when Neal would see his bride for the first time, Sara had suggested that Neal pick a song that described how he felt about her. Neal picked the Beatles song 'Here, there and everywhere' and it began to play signalling that Sara's arrival was imminent. For Neal, the song was perfect in its simplicity and sentiment as it described his desire that Sara would always be at his side and his wish that he would always see the love Sara felt for him today reflected in her eyes.

Neal held his breath as he waited for her to come around the corner and when she finally did, his eyes widened and a smile erupted on his face. There she was, this beautiful, strong, intelligent woman who had stood by him while he got his act together, who had never tried to change him yet who had _totally_ changed him. He thought about how lucky he was to be spending the rest of his life with her and the commitment he was about to make felt so right.

Sara trembled as she came off the staircase and turned to face the back of the house. She could see all their friends assembled, forming this protective bubble around them and she finally looked up to see Neal standing by the door to the garden with a huge grin on his face. She knew that her face mirrored his and she began to take a few tentative steps towards him. He was the most loving, caring person she had ever met and she was about to commit to spending the rest of her life with him. She smiled as she listened to the lyrics '_each one believing that love never dies, watching her eyes and hoping I'm always there'_.

She walked by the guests taking in their smiling faces and slowed down as she neared June who was holding Hope. The baby was attempting to reach out to Sara so she leaned over to give her a small kiss as she continued on her way. As she reached Neal, he came forward to kiss her gently and he put out his arm so she could lace hers into his. His eyes never left hers as they walked the last few feet towards the arch where the justice of the peace was waiting for them. Peter and Elizabeth did the same, following behind them and going their own separate ways as they arrived at their destination, Peter standing next to Neal and Elizabeth taking her place next to Sara.

The guests followed and began to fill the chairs that surrounded the couple. As everyone was getting settled, Neal leaned over and kissed Sara gently on the cheek as he whispered in her ear 'You look beautiful.' Sara just looked into his eyes and was suddenly overcome with the intensity of the moment - he looked gorgeous and his shining eyes and beautiful smile were just for her.

Pamela, the justice of the peace invited the guests to get settled and welcomed everyone to the ceremony:

'Friends, we have been invited here today to share with Sara and Neal a very important moment in their lives. In the time they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife.'

She continued 'Neal and Sara have asked their very dear friend Mozzie to do a reading from a text by Robert Fulghum. Mozzie'

Mozzie stepped up and stood by Neal and Sara as the couple turned to face the guests. He began to read:

'_You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, "When we're married", and continued with "I will" and "you will" and "we will" – all those late night talks that included "someday" and "somehow" and "maybe" – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding._

The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, "You know all those things that we've promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word."

Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same.

For after today you shall say to the world –  
This is my husband. This is my wife.'

Mozzie turned to kiss Sara and hugged Neal before returning to his chair next to June. As he sat, Hope let out a loud shrill gurgle which was heard by everyone in attendance. Everyone laughed as Hope continued to look towards her parents who were staring at her, proudly. June followed the baby's gaze and as she looked at Neal she was instantly brought back to the first time she had ever seen him, about four years before.

From that very first meeting in the thrift shop where she had gone to drop off some of Byron's old suits, she had been captivated by Neal, his charm, his smile and his energy. June had excellent people instincts and she had instantly known that Neal was trustworthy and kind. Not that June was naïve; quite the contrary – she had lived life in one giant gray area with Byron and his clandestine activities. But she could also spot a good heart and she knew that when it came to the important things, Neal could be trusted. She had been proven right and had stood steadfastly by Neal throughout all his adventures, even his sudden and unplanned escape to the island. When he had finally returned, she had welcomed him back without a second thought and with open arms.

Having Neal and Mozzie in the house had made June feel alive and young again and had brought her back to the life she had so loved with Byron. Seeing Neal strut around in her husband's vintage suits always brought her joy but today, she marvelled at the sight of him wearing the very suit that Byron had worn on their wedding day. Neal looked so handsome and although she was beaming with pride, she felt a pang of regret for days gone by.

June knew that her time with Neal in the house was now short and that he and his new wife would be moving to their own place soon and that thought brought a tear to her eye as she held on tight to their beautiful daughter.

Her gaze turned to Sara. Her relationship with Neal's better half had taken quite a while to develop. She remembered the first time Sara had walked into her home with the police in tow, searching Neal's apartment for the missing FAA envelope. June had not taken well to this strident, angry woman but in time she had learned, as Neal had, that Sara was simply a hurt soul who didn't trust easily and acted out of a need to protect herself from being hurt.

She recalled that day when she and Sara had a heart to heart in Neal's apartment; June advising Sara to give Neal some time to open up. She was glad that Sara had stuck it out and that they had worked out their differences. Sara had become, much like June had been for Byron, a steadfast partner, able to give a little and implicitly know when to ask questions and when to leave things alone. Not only had Sara learned to love Neal in spite of his indiscretions, she loved him because of what they made him – an interesting, creative, imaginative man.

Hope squirmed in her arms and June looked down at her – she was definitely the best thing Neal and Sara had every done.

June was brought back to the present as Pamela spoke 'Marriage is a holy covenant that must not be entered into lightly and I have had the opportunity to speak with Sara and Neal on a few occasions and have seen the great respect they have for each other. I believe that this love and respect is what will allow them to overcome the inevitable bumps along the road. They have both lived very full lives and have come to each other not naïvely but knowing full well the serious nature of their commitment. They have both chosen to write their own vows and I will now ask them to face you, their family and friends, and make those vows to each other'

Sara handed over her bouquet to her maid of honor and as she and Neal turned to face their guests, they each took a deep breath. Neal turned towards Sara and took her hand as he spoke:

'Sara, before I speak the words that come from my heart, I wanted to read a short text I really identified with when I read it. It's a text by Richard Bach.' Neal took out a piece of paper from his jacket and began to read:

'_A soul mate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we're pretending to be'_

Neal put away his text and took both of Sara's hands in his. Sara looked into his eyes and was mesmerized by the vulnerability she saw there. This was so far from the Neal Caffrey she had met eight years ago who would not, under any circumstance, have exposed himself in this way and yet this was the man she had grown to love. Neal took a deep breath and continued:

'My beautiful Sara, this might not sound like the most romantic thing to say to your new bride but you're my anchor – not in the 'ball and chain' kind of way but in the way you've helped me to become centered and grounded. I hid for a long long time, beneath my smile, beneath my charm and practically everyone I ever met let me get away with it – but not you. You saw me for who I really was and as scary as it was at the time, you held a mirror to my face and forced me to see the good that was there instead of just the bad I had tried to cover up for so long. I've been fluttering my whole life, looking for someplace to land, somewhere to call home and with you and Hope, I am finally home, safe, secure and grounded. Thank you for that, it's so much more than I ever thought possible and I promise to spend the rest of my life being the husband you deserve and the father our daughter needs to grow safe and wise. I promise to love you and honor you for the rest of our lives and to stand by you in good times and in bad. You _are_ my soul mate, Sara and now that I'm home, I'm never leaving'

He spoke the last few sentences with a quiver in his voice, unable to contain the emotions he felt. Sara was also crying, wiping her eyes and trying to compose herself. Sniffling and nose blowing could be heard throughout the small crowd as Neal hugged Sara to give her a moment to collect herself.

Finally, Sara spoke:

'You bastard, I knew I should have gone first' she said with a tremor in her voice, as everyone broke out laughing, a welcome opportunity to break the tension.

Sara took a minute longer and turned to face Neal as she spoke her vows:

'Neal, I also found a poem that spoke to me and I would like to read an excerpt before I say my vows. It's a poem by Roy Croft' she said as Elizabeth handed her a sheet of paper.

_I love you, not only for what you are,  
But for what I am when I am with you._

I love you not only for what  
You have made of yourself,  
But for what you are making of me.

I love you for the part of me that you bring out;  
I love you for putting your hand into my heaped-up heart  
And passing over all the foolish, weak things that you can't help dimly seeing there,  
And for drawing out into the light all the beautiful belongings that no one else had looked quite far enough to find

Neal wiped his eyes as he listened to Sara's words. She, on the other hand was steadfast and strong. She gave the sheet of paper back to Elizabeth and carried on with her vows.

'Neal,when I met you, I was an angry and bitter person. I felt that life had been unfair to me and I had started building a solid wall around myself to keep me from feeling anything. Then you came along, with your charm, your smile and you got my attention. I was very leery for a long time wondering - what is this guy always smiling about? And although I learned over time that your smile often masked a lot of pain, I wanted to get to know you and be with you. As time went on, you called me on all my crap. You stuck with me even when I was being a tornado in heels, running around with my baton. You never tried to change me and yet, you _totally _changed me just by being in my life. It was as if I had been watching a movie in black and white and suddenly everything was in gorgeous technicolor. That's what you did for me Neal, and I want to thank you for not giving up on me, on us, and for being the most loving and caring dad to our beautiful daughter. I will be there for you until the day I die and I promise to stand by you in good times and bad. I love you'

Spontaneously, Neal and Sara kissed as the crowd erupted into applause. They had managed to say in a few words what everyone had witnessed over the past few years: that they were better together than they were apart. Hope began to get excited with all the noise and her excitement gave way to crying as she began to wail loudly. Neal went over to get her and help calm her and returned to Sara holding their daughter. At the sight of her parents, Hope began to calm down and she rested her head gently on Neal's shoulder. After a few moments, Peter reached out and Hope willingly moved into her godfather's loving arms as the happy couple prepared to exchange rings.

'Now, Neal and Sara will exchange rings and pledge their commitment to each other' said Pamela

Neal turned towards Peter who handed him the ring for Sara. Neal took Sara's hand in his, removing her engagement ring to place the matching wedding band underneath as he said: 'I Neal George Caffrey take you Sara Lillian Ellis to be my lawfully wedded wife. I promise to love and honor you all the days of my life'

Peter reached over and gave Sara the ring that she was to put on Neal's finger. She took Neal's hand and looked into his eyes as she spoke: 'I Sara Lillian Ellis take you Neal George Caffrey to be my lawfully wedded husband. I promise to love and honor you all the days of my life'

Pamela spoke up: 'By the power vested in me by the State of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife'

At that moment, June stepped up to join the couple; as a special favor, she had agreed to sing for them as the ceremony came to a close. Neal and Sara had chosen 'At last' by Etta James, a soulful classic which June delivered beautifully and as she sang, they kissed and began to move slowly together, to everyone's applause.

As the song came to a close, Neal approached June to thank her, giving her a heartfelt hug and the guests began to hoot and holler and clap. Hope put her arms out for her parents and Neal took her from Peter as the three of them hugged. The guests began to come up to the happy couple, congratulating them and wishing them well.

The string quartet could be heard in the distance playing the Canon in D by Pachelbel as the mood changed and guests began to move into the house for cocktails and appetizers. Hors d'oeuvres had been arranged on the piano and on a nearby table in the living room and drinks were being served by a tuxedo-clad young man. Elizabeth had morphed into wedding planner mode and was making certain all the guests were well taken care as everyone waited for dinner to be served.

Neal and Sara took a quiet moment to thank Pamela for agreeing to officiate and invited her to stay and have a drink with the guests.

Neal felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Peter beaming at him – the men hugged. 'Congratulations, Neal! You have come such a long way and I'm so proud of you' he said in an emotional tone. 'You and Sara were meant to be together and I'm so glad you both figured it out. I think a lot of us knew it even before you did'

'Well, I guess we had to figure it out in our own good time' said Neal, grinning 'Thanks Peter, for everything and for agreeing to be my best man. It meant everything to me'

Peter smiled as they walked away to join the rest of the group.

Sara was chatting with Diana and Christie as Neal came up behind her. 'Excuse me ladies, may I borrow my wife for a moment?' he said as he wrapped his arms around Sara.

Sara looked at him, questioningly.

'What's up?' she said

'I have a surprise for you' said Neal as he led her away.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Neal took Sara's hand and, just like a couple of kids sneaking out of school early, they ran up the stairs together to the second floor. As they got to the second floor landing, Neal grabbed Sara by the waist and kissed her soundly, holding her close.

'Hi Mrs Caffrey' he said finally

'Hi Mr Caffrey' she responded, smiling 'and it's _Ellis-Caffrey_, Neal'

'Alright, alright, I just love the thought of us sharing a name' added Neal as he pulled her in even closer

'Neal, not that I'm not enjoying this, but we have a houseful of guests. Did you bring me up here to have your way with me at five in the afternoon' she asked as she let herself melt in his touch

'Not juuust for that' answered Neal, kissing her neck 'I have something to show you'

Suddenly, they were moving up the hallway towards one of the rooms that June occupied on the second floor. They walked by the room where Sara had hidden Neal's wedding gift and she smiled to herself as he continued a little further down the hall. He opened the door and signalled her to walk in.

It was a bedroom but an entire area had been cleared out and in that spot was an easel covered with a cloth. She looked at Neal curiously as he continued to smile mysteriously.

'Sara, this is my gift to you for our wedding day but once I had finished I realized that it's a gift for myself, too'

Sara looked into his eyes questioningly

'All my life, I have enjoyed painting but I never had anything of my own that I wanted to paint so I copied other artists. I thought their work was beautiful so I tried to emulate it and I enjoyed learning the technical aspects of painting. People would rave about my talent but I was never an artist. An artist is someone who can take a feeling, an event, a person that means something to them and put that feeling, that event, that person on canvas with all the feelings that they represent. Before I met you, I had never had anything worth painting...' He stopped as he became emotional.

'But now, with you and Hope, I have this yearning to paint. It's as if you've given me a part of myself. You've transformed a forger into an artist; that's what you've done for me, Sara' he said, smiling.

Sara smiled through her tears as she listened to Neal's words and she realized that underneath the sheet was a painting that Neal had created for her. Finally, he removed the covering and she saw the beauty of the painting that was revealed. She recognized it from a photograph Neal had taken of her and Hope when their daughter was about a week old. Sara was cradling her in her arms and the love in her eyes was palpable. The painting was so much richer than any photograph could possibly be as it defined every strand of her hair, every pore of Hope's baby skin and brought them to life as they were depicted through the eyes of someone who loved them both.

Sara gasped at the sight of it and realized that she and their daughter had released this artist in Neal and she knew that now that the flood gates were open, there would be more magical pieces of art such as this one.

'It's incredible' she finally said, trying to catch her breath. 'Thank you, Neal'

She hugged him tightly as they both cried. 'Ironically, in the same vein, I have something for you' she said

'Come.' She pulled him towards the door and to the room next door, a door that Neal had walked past every time he had snuck out to come and work on his painting.

She opened the door and Neal peered in. Inside was everything Neal could possibly need to continue to explore his newfound passion as an original artist.

'I thought since everything was stolen from the storage unit, I would set you up so you would have everything you need to continue painting. That way, when we finally move into our new house, you'll have everything in place to set up a studio.' She studied him to see his reaction and could see a grin spreading on his face as he walked around the room, taking it all in, the paints, the brushes, the canvases, the easel, all he could possibly need and all of a sudden, his mind filled with thousands of possibilities.

'This is the perfect gift, Sara' he said, hugging her 'It's as if you knew even before I told you what I was going through. Thank you'

'You are so welcome' Sara said softly as she placed a tender kiss on his smiling lips. 'You know, I would love to stay up here with you' said Sara, finally as she broke the kiss 'but we have friends and family downstairs waiting for us'

'You're right, later' Neal said as he placed a lingering kiss, a kiss of promise, on Sara's lips 'And I have one more surprise – later, when we're alone' he said enjoying the fact that he could leave a little mystery hanging in the air.

They returned downstairs as people were mingling, having a drink and munching on appetizers. Mozzie accosted them as they came down the last few steps into the living room.

'There you are' he said 'I should have guessed: you two are always looking for excuses to get away and grope each other'

'Hey Moz' said Neal affectionately 'how are you doing?'

'Well, I have to say Mrs. Suit did a fine job choosing the wine. I don't even feel the need to go up to your apartment to steal one from your private collection' he said holding up his glass.

'You did a wonderful job on the reading' added Sara 'Do you forgive me now for having Pamela officiate?'

'I suppose' said Mozzie looking rather miffed. 'She's a terrific lady and I found out, she and I have quite a bit in common. As a matter of fact, I'm meeting her later for coffee...'

Mozzie walked away as Neal and Sara looked at each other, grinning.

June walked up to the happy couple and gave them each a hug.

'Hey, you two. I was wondering where you had disappeared to' she said with a twinkle in her eye.

'We were just exploring some of the rooms on the second floor' said Neal with a wink

'Ah' said June 'so your secrets are out'

'Nice one, June' added Sara 'setting up our surprises right next to each other'

'Oh, you know me, dear. I love helping people plot'

'June' said Neal, putting his arm around her 'Sara and I can never thank you enough for everything you've done for us. Having us here, putting up with a crying baby, letting us use your beautiful home to have our wedding and everything else in between'

'Oh, darling, Hope is like my own and so are you two. I know you'll be leaving soon to move into your own home and you need to know that I'll miss you terribly' said June, wiping her eyes

'June' said Neal and Sara as they both put their arms around her. Neal added: 'You are our family, you're Hope's grandma. We'll always be in each other's lives'

Suddenly, Elizabeth's voice could be heard inviting the guests to take place at the table for the meal which was about to be served.

The table was impeccably appointed with flowers, beautiful linens and June's best dinnerware. Each place setting held a special gift of thanks for the guests, compliments of the bride and groom. Sara and Neal had decided on a sterling silver framed picture of the three of them with the date engraved as well as a beautifully decorated box which contained one of each of the cupcakes - one with an anklet on top and the other with a baton – they had ordered for the bachelor party and shower. Disposable cameras were sitting at each of the places - they had decided against a professional photographer, preferring to ask their friends to contribute any good pictures they might take during the evening. This being said, Peter had brought along a video camera and had been busy filming candid bits and pieces as the party progressed.

Neal and Sara sat side by side at the head of the table as all the guests began to take their place around them. They had a permanent smirk on their faces as one toast after another was made throughout the meal and they were repeatedly instructed to kiss – by the traditional clinking of the spoon on crystal glasses. Hope had been settled in her baby seat beside Sara and she had dropped off to sleep despite the noise and the music.

The quartet played in the background as the meal was served: melon wrapped in prosciutto with mesculin mix salad as an entrée, followed by roasted pork loin stuffed with sausage accompanied by grilled vegetables and roasted potatoes for the main course. Dessert consisted of Bavarian cream, a light choice, as there would be wedding cake a little later in the evening.

By the time dessert rolled around, Peter rose for the traditional best man's speech and everyone turned to listen as he took his place by Neal's side.

'What can we possibly say about Neal Caffrey?' he asked as everyone laughed. 'He's a man of many facets and that's what makes him such an interesting person to get to know. And to know Neal is to love him as is witnessed by all of you here tonight. Neal came into my life, and most of yours, in the most unorthodox way. He wormed his way into all our hearts, not always honestly at first, but as we got to know him, and more importantly as Neal began to trust himself enough, he began to show us what was underneath all those layers.'

'Neal has the best heart of anyone I know. I can't say as much about his judgement' Peter added as the guests chuckled. 'He is an impulsive, at times reckless person' he added looking over at the groom. 'It's landed Neal in a heap of trouble on more than one occasion. On some cases, I worried about his safety but one thing about Neal – he gets results. So it's tempting to let him take chances and more often than not, I felt I had to protect Neal from himself'

Neal looked over affectionately at Peter as he put his arm around his new wife.

'But when it came to his relationship with Sara – Neal took his time.' Again, the group reacted by giggling. 'And _that_ is a good thing. Even though some of us knew from the very first time these two laid eyes on each other that the chemistry was undeniable, they worked really, really hard at being enemies'

Neal looked lovingly at Sara, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

'Neal was working his charm – not a very effective strategy where Sara was concerned. Sara takes no prisoners so she called Neal on his shit and he found that his regular shtick didn't work with her. And Sara, well, we don't call her a tornado in heels for nothing... How many women do you know have their future husband take a lie detector test or have them arrested? And how many men sneak into their future wife's apartment pointing a Ruger?'

Again, the crowd reacted by laughing, knowingly.

'So, it took some time to pull back the layers on these two complex individuals but it was obvious from the start that there was an undeniable spark between them and that they were drawn to each other like moths are attracted to light.'

The guests were listening intently to Peter, nodding as they all had their personal take on these two and how they got together.

'Neal, I can't say that I've always approved of your choices but your decision to marry Sara is definitely in a league of its own and has a high approval rating from your friends and family'

Everyone applauded and the noise woke Hope who started looking around the room and gurgling as she reached out for her mom.

'And...' Peter continued, reacting to the noise 'having Hope in all our lives is just the icing on the cake. You two are meant to be together and we wish you a long and happy life. Raise your glasses, everyone in a toast to Neal and Sara'

'To Neal and Sara' everyone repeated in unison as they raised their glasses. Neal and Sara gazed at each other and kissed, Hope sandwiched between them.

Elizabeth stood to join her husband and he put an arm around her as she spoke.

'As maid of honor, I would like to say a few words about Sara Ellis, I mean Sara Ellis-Caffrey' she said as people laughed. Sara looked over at Neal as he took Hope from her and settled her in his arms so she could look around the room at everyone.

'Sara, you are one tough nut to crack. I have to admit that I wondered when I first met you what you and Neal could possibly have in common. He wore his heart on his sleeve and you, well... you're a little harder to get to know. One night, you and I chatted at our place over dinner and you asked about what it was like being married to an FBI agent. I could see that you were already wondering if you could handle sharing the kind of life Neal lived. And then, you asked me if I trusted Neal and I could see in your eyes how badly you wanted to trust him but you just weren't there yet. That's when I started to realize that you cared for him and that you were beginning to open up your heart to the possibility of love. But in the end, it was Neal who made me see you differently as I learned to look at you through his eyes. I now see what Neal always saw, a beautiful, smart and loving woman who was hiding behind a mask of false bravado so she wouldn't get hurt. And despite getting burned a couple of times... you stuck it out with Neal and gave him a chance – or more than one...'

People reacted, knowingly. Sara looked over at Neal as he held their daughter and took his arm to feel him against her.

'So Sara and Neal, we wish you all the best and we want you to know that we are family and that you can always count on us to share in your happiness. Congratulations, you two!'

Again, everyone clapped as Elizabeth and Peter hugged the happy couple and returned to their seats at the table.

The group lingered at the dinner table until well past ten o'clock enjoying the food, the conversation and the music then Elizabeth suggested that everyone move outside for the traditional first dance and the cutting of the wedding cake.

When they stepped out into the garden, the place was hardly recognizable. As in daylight, the flowers and the natural beauty of the garden had been its main feature, with darkness, the beautiful white lights all over the yard created a dreamlike atmosphere as the guests stepped out and settled at the few tables that had been installed under the gazebo. Mozzie had made arrangements for a disc jockey so guests and the newly married couple could enjoy dancing to some more contemporary music.

As Neal and Sara stepped through the doors leading to the garden, the guests applauded and music broke out for their first dance. They had chosen the classic 'Let's stay together' by Al Green and as the music started, Neal grabbed Sara by the waist and began swaying with her as he sang the words to her '_I'm so in love with you, whatever you want to do is alright by me'_

Sara laughed as she let herself be led by her husband who was swinging her from side to side, bringing her close to him and singing in her ear as he continued to sway '_whether times are good or bad, happy or sad'_

The song ended and Neal kissed Sara and walked over to get Hope from Cindy's arms; she cooed and kicked as she saw her dad coming closer.

The newlyweds had asked for a special song that they could dance to with their daughter. The music began and Stevie Wonder could be heard singing 'You are the sunshine of my life' as Neal brought their daughter over to Sara and they both began to dance, singing to their daughter as she reveled in the sight of her two parents gazing lovingly at her. They placed Hope between them and began to sway as she looked from one to the other, smiling and gurgling. The look in their eyes was conclusive; their happiness was complete.

As the song ended, they invited Elizabeth and Peter to join them as they continued to dance. Peter walked up to his wife, offering his hand and they began to sway next to the newly married couple. Before long, Clinton and his girlfriend had joined in as had Diana and Christie, Reese and his wife, Blake had taken June's hand as Mozzie was giving instructions to the disc jockey.

After a while, Hope got restless – it was definitely way past her bedtime. Cindy and Waylon graciously volunteered to take Hope up to the apartment and babysit while Neal and Sara continued partying for a while longer.

They danced into the night, stopping at one point to cut the wedding cake; everyone got a kick out the bride holding a baton and the groom with the anklet on top of the cake. After having the best red velvet cake they'd ever had, they resumed dancing well past midnight by the time Reese and his wife came over to say goodnight and give their best wishes to Neal and Sara.

After they left, Mozzie was next, wanting to make good on a promise to meet Pamela for a cup of coffee around the corner and Clinton and his girlfriend and Christie and Diana also prepared to leave.

Finally, Neal and Sara were alone with June, Peter and Elizabeth as they flopped on the couch in June's living room nursing a nightcap of Frangelico.

'That was an amazing party' said Sara kicking off her shoes 'and I am exhausted'

Neal just smiled in agreement as he put his head down on Sara's shoulder. He was feeling the effects of one too many toasts and he was exhausted from his ordeal of the last few days.

'I think I should put my husband to bed' added Sara as she looked down at Neal who just cooed

'Well, guys, we'll be talking about this one for a long time' offered Peter as he sat, holding Elizabeth's hand'

'It was just perfect' said Neal, looking at Elizabeth 'Thank you so much for everything'

'I had a great time planning it' said Elizabeth 'and I don't get to be a guest at all my parties, so it was doubly fun!'

'Well, hon' said Peter shifting 'what do you say we head back to Brooklyn? Neal, are you going to get back to me about the arrangements?' he asked, cryptically

Neal sat up, not wanting to ruin the surprise before its time as Sara looked over at June and Elizabeth hoping to get a hint of what Peter's comment had meant.

'Yeah, yeah' said Neal 'we'll talk to you tomorrow'

Neal and Sara walked Peter and Elizabeth to the door and there were hugs all around as they said their goodbyes.

One last thank you to June and the newlyweds were up the stairs.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

_**Last chapter... This story has been a lot of fun to write. Every time I think I'm running out of ideas for this fabulous couple, some inspiration pops up out of nowhere. So, here's hoping I'm back soon with some more stories in the 'Milestones' series. Must keep all you Neal and Sara fans properly nourished until we can see them back together on the small screen!**_

**Chapter 15**

'You are not doing this, Caffrey' Sara said giggling

'It's tradition' he said as he swept Sara up in his arms and lifted her off the ground, opening the door with one hand and carrying her over the threshold. They could hear Cindy and Waylon giggling on the other side of the door as they stumbled in.

'Hey, guys. Thanks so much for staying with Hope. Was she any trouble?' asked Sara as Neal put her down.

'Not a peep' said Cindy 'We've been watching TV all night'

'There's some wedding cake for the two of you downstairs' said Neal as he thanked them

Once alone, Neal and Sara prepared for bed and as they undressed and carefully placed their wedding clothes on the couch, Sara suddenly piped up as she eyed her husband up and down.

'Alright, Caffrey, spill' she said

'What?' he asked innocently, frowning

'You don't have your anklet on! And what was that between you and Peter downstairs'

'Alright, busted' he said as he pulled her over to settle on the bed. He put his arms out and she crawled into bed for a warm hug as he spoke.

'I have one more surprise for you' began Neal 'how would you like a honeymoon getaway for a couple of days?'

'What? You mean outside your two mile radius?' asked Sara searching his eyes

'That's exactly what I mean' said Neal, pleased that he could spring this last surprise on her

'But how?'

'Don't ask how, just answer the question. Would you like to go away with me for a couple of nights?' Neal asked looking down at her face

'Well, dah' she answered in a most immature way

Neal smiled knowingly 'I have gotten permission to go outside my radius and take you away somewhere as long as we are back by Wednesday at noon'

'Really? What about Hope?' Sara asked, looking rather worried

'Do you think you can tear yourself away from her for a couple of days?'

'Peter and Elizabeth?' she asked already deducing the answer to her question

'Yeah' he confirmed as he kissed her forehead

'Wow, I can't believe this. This is so much more than I expected' said Sara reeling from the shock 'You know, I would have been perfectly happy to have a nice honeymoon at home with you and Hope'

Neal looked at her lovingly 'I know that. That's why I really wanted to give you this. You've never asked for anything from me. You never once balked at having to stay in my two mile radius and I really wanted to give you more'

'Oh, Neal. _You_ are all I could ever want. Wherever you are, that's where I want to be, don't you know that by now' she said getting teary-eyed.

He nodded as he realized the scope of what she was saying

After a moment, she spoke up 'So... where are we going?'

'Ah, now that's another secret' said Neal, teasing her

'NO! You can't do this to me!' she shrieked as she tried to pull out of his grasp

'Oh, I can and I will. You'll see when we get there' Neal was really enjoying this.

'So, do we have a car or are we taking a train, a plane?'

'No train, no plane. I didn't want to spend our precious time in transit... but I promise you, in four months, when the anklet comes off, I'll take you anywhere in the world you want to go'

Sara settled again in his arms, taking his hand in hers. She looked down at his wedding band.

'So, how does the ring feel? Weird?' she asked as she ran her finger over his

'I'll get used to the feel of it but for now, I just like looking at it and realizing it means I am married to the most amazing woman on the planet' he said reaching down to kiss her lips and tightening his grip on her.

Sara brought her face up to him and their kiss intensified as he began to shift on one elbow to face her.

'Mrs Caffrey' he whispered in her ear 'I love you'

He brought his lips down to nuzzle the back of her ear, a spot that always got Sara going. The results were instantaneous as Sara let out a soft moan and pulled Neal closer, wrapping her arms around his back.

'I love you' she said as he pulled away slightly to position himself on top of her.

Their eyes locked and although they had mastered 'Lovemaking 101' a long time ago, their gaze spoke of commitment this time as they began to make love. Every movement, every touch, every look seemed to be in slow motion as if they were repeating vows to each other once more, this time enjoying the sensation of each other's body as they worked in harmony to find pleasure and release. They fell asleep with their arms and legs intertwined, exhausted from the last few days yet blissful and content.

Their usual alarm sounded around six when they heard Hope gurgling in the other room and they woke smiling as they both rose simultaneously to go to her. They usually took pleasure in bargaining with each other in order to get the other to go get Hope but on this day, they were both anxious to see her, knowing they would be away from her for a few days.

'Good morning, sweetheart' said Sara as she picked up her daughter from the crib. Hope didn't know what to make of this – both her parents coming to see to her at the same time. She looked from one to the other, gurgling and laughing as Neal made cooing noises to spur her on. Her diaper was changed and within a few minutes, all three of them had returned to the marital bed, curled up together in their cocoon as Hope lay on her back kicking happily and trying to grab at Neal's face, getting a strong hold of his nose and tugging. He gently pinched her nose 'I love you, too' he said.

'Are you sure we shouldn't bring her with us' asked Sara looking at her husband

Neal gave her the famous Caffrey 'head tilt with the eyebrow raise' meaning 'Come on, woman, get real'

'I know, I know' she said 'but I'm going to miss her'

'Me too. But don't you think it'll be nice to be just the two of us for a change. We can...' he stopped not wanting to give up too many hints as to their destination

'We can what?' she asked, hoping to catch him unawares

But Neal was still an expert at weighing each one of his words and he seldom let anything slip that wasn't intentional (once a conman, always a conman).

'You never mind what' he said reaching over Hope to give her a kiss, to which Hope made a pleasing sound

'She's going to be so happy with her godparents and you and I are going to enjoy some grownup alone time. So listen, we leave at eleven. So we have to get Hope packed up and we have to finish packing ourselves – I'm done, by the way and I've started yours, in the back room' he added, pleased with himself

'Really, you presume to know what I want to bring on our honeymoon' Sara said, eyes twinkling

'Not everything but -' Neal started

'Oh, don't let me forget my breast pump or I'll be in agony' said Sara rising from the bed

'Already packed' said Neal grabbing Hope and holding her over his head as she gurgled and smiled

They were packed and ready to go by ten to eleven. Mozzie had picked up the rental for Neal and left it parked on the street and when they stepped out into the sunlight, they spotted it right away. It was without a doubt the Santa Fe with 'Just married' spray painted on the back windshield.

They both rolled their eyes as they placed Hope's car seat in the back of the car and climbed in. Someone had had fun at their expense and Neal was pretty sure Mozzie and Peter had something to do with it.

As they drove onto DeKalb Avenue, they spotted a parking spot two houses over from the Burkes. Peter and Elizabeth opened the door even before they had the chance to knock and Peter anxiously reached out to take Hope's car seat from Neal.

'Hello, pretty angel' he said looking down at his goddaughter. Elizabeth and Sara exchanged amused looks – even after three months, it was disconcerting to see this grown man sputter baby talk whenever he got within a few feet of Hope. She, of course, enjoyed the attention and just smiled back encouraging his childish blather.

Neal pulled Peter aside, speaking quietly and handing him some handwritten information as Sara tried to listen in. 'Here's the phone number of the place we're staying at just in case something goes wrong with our cells and we'll be back sometime before lunch on Wednesday. Oh, my anklet – do you have it here, 'cause it needs to be back on before noon'

'Well, well, look at you, Mr. Responsible. Is this what I can expect from you now that you're a married man?' asked Peter jokingly

Neal gave him the 'Cute, Peter' smile and turned to Sara 'Let's go babe, meter's running' he said as he grabbed her hand.

'Wait, wait' she said as she walked towards Peter to say goodbye to their daughter. A few moments later, they were safely in the car headed northeast as Sara began taking stabs at where they were going. As they crossed state lines into Connecticut then Massachusetts, Sara started to take more educated guesses.

'Boston?' she asked looking over at Neal who was studying the road

'Keep guessing' said Neal

Another state line as they crossed briefly into New Hampshire and Sara piped up 'Are you taking me to Maine, by the ocean?'

Neal just smiled.

'Not Kennebunkport? It's so gorgeous there' she guessed once again

Neal just smiled a satisfied smile as he came off the I-95 at the appropriate exit.

The country cottages where they were staying were located just outside of the town proper, far away to feel like country yet within walking distance to the charming little town. The Cottages at Cabot Cove were each individually and tastefully decorated and although they were all situated in a semi circle, each was secluded, hidden from the others by beautiful and lush greenery and flower beds. As they drove up, Sara oohed and aahed and Neal had to agree, it was an excellent choice for a few days of rest and relaxation.

Each cottage had a theme and Neal had chosen the cottage called 'Endless Summer'. It was painted a pale cottage green on the outside with two Adirondack chairs in a lovely seating area surrounded by beautiful flowers and hidden from the other cottages by bushes and other greenery. It had a gorgeous living/eating area next to the small bedroom with a king size bed.

The resort lent out canoes and bicycles both of which Neal and Sara partook during their stay. They had lobster rolls at Alisson's and Shoreman's Pie at Arundel Wharf and on Tuesday, Neal had booked them on a whale watching excursion that took them out onto the ocean away from shore. The view was breathtaking as one after another whale rose up from the waters just before their eyes.

They walked through the boutiques in town and drove along the coast admiring the many homes along the shore, picking out the ones that most appealed to them and where, in their fantasies, they would raise their family. They spoke of the future – Neal's anklet was coming off very soon and Sara would eventually return to work. They talked about brothers and sisters for Hope and agreed they would return to this beautiful little town for their tenth wedding anniversary.

One night, they picked up some gourmet makings at a local deli and prepared a meal which they ate in bed while drinking a bottle of Merlot and watching television. They didn't make it through the meal or the show as they fell into each other's arms enjoying each other company and the clean smell of the ocean nearby.

In the morning, as they lay lazily in bed, they could hear from their open window as staff from the resort delivered breakfast in a basket to their door, sometimes croissants or muffins, yogurt, fresh fruit and juice. Neal had thought to bring some Italian roast which they gladly indulged in along with their morning meal.

By Tuesday night, they fell into bed, blissful, physically tired but emotionally replenished.

'So, good little getaway?' asked Neal as he held Sara in his arms

'Amazing getaway' Sara agreed 'You could not have picked a better place, Neal. Thank you, thank you for doing this. It was very thoughtful'

'I have my moments, I guess' agreed Neal in the immodest way he had of bragging

'So, we head back to reality tomorrow morning' said Sara dreamily

'Luckily, reality is pretty amazing too' said Neal, pulling Sara in a little closer in the giant bed

'It is, isn't it? Back to our beautiful girl. No more wedding planning. Not sure what I'll do all day now that that's behind us' said Sara looking off into space

'So, Mrs Caffrey' said Neal snuggling ever closer 'Have I told you today just how much I love you?'

'You have but I never tire of hearing it' Sara responded, looking into his eyes

'Well, then' said Neal, kissing her neck 'Have I _shown_ you today how much I love you?'

'Yeah, this morning and again after lunch' smiled Sara 'But I never get tired of you showing me either' she added as she kissed him deeply

Neal just smirked as he ran his hand up Sara's thigh pulling up her nightgown and drawing her hips into his, his intention most obvious as she felt him against her leg. They spent the next hour showing each other just how much they loved one another and fell asleep, once again as they breathed in the fresh, clean air, their bodies spent and their minds at peace.

The return to the hubbub of New York was uneventful. Both Sara and Neal were quiet on the five hour drive back as they held hands and each privately reminisced about their little getaway. Every now and then, Neal or Sara would look knowingly at the other, smiling a secret smile that needed no explanation.

The road ahead beckoned both literally and figuratively and they knew that whatever twists and turns lay ahead, they were in for the long haul, together.

La fin

_**I hope you have enjoyed this story. We all know that Neal and Peter need to have a lot more adventures before calling it quits - I just hope that during the last season of the show, in another few years, Jeff Eastin and his writing team will see fit to give Neal a happy ending and will reunite him with Sara who can make him even better than he is now!**_


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